commandeered

verb

past tense of commandeer
1
as in hijacked
to take control of (a vehicle) by force an airliner commandeered by terrorists

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in seized
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right commandeered all of the equipment, as if the chem lab belonged solely to him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commandeered Curious Londoners stopped to figure out why a marching band, a blue bird and a few hundred Americans had suddenly commandeered a stretch of Oxford Street. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026 Inside the farmhouse, the kitchen speaker has been entirely commandeered by cast members Earl Cave and Conrad Khan. — Riann Phillip, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026 The Jackson campaign had commandeered the green room Bottoms and her aides were supposed to use for the event. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 John’s little motorbike proves no match for the large truck commandeered by the T-1000, which blasts through a cinder block wall at one point. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 This data could be leveraged for surveillance or intelligence, and robots could be remotely commandeered. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The Loa River was commandeered in its entirety, source to mouth. — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026 The event was so popular that the crowd spilled into the place next door, and in a restaurant called Amber, the sound system was commandeered. — Simon Hughes, New York Times, 24 June 2026 The concept is based upon unfussy Italian cooking with local ingredients, commandeered by a chef whose background is in looking after Italy’s most prestigious families, rather than restaurants. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeered
  1. hijacked
  2. seized
  3. confiscated
  4. converted
  5. usurped
  6. grabbed
  7. occupied
  8. stole
Verb
  • Wilson finished with 22 points and nine rebounds on paper, but her late-game meltdown completely hijacked what was otherwise a thrilling 99-89 Indiana victory.
    — Alejandro Avila , Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Perhaps the biggest was that an HBO Max Reddit account was hijacked and began directing users to an app that was actually infostealer malware in disguise.
    — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hijacked
Verb
  • Meanwhile in 2023, the company seized the opportunity to launch on TikTok Shop with select brands shortly after the platform’s Stateside debut, and has since continued to innovate there through live-selling and cutting-edge creator partnerships.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The filing cites items that were seized from her home in a federal investigation with no assurance that they will be returned, as well as unauthorized people who gained access to her Los Angeles residence.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • York had a cellphone returned to him, but the $160 that police confiscated from him was given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement.
    — Erick Mendoza, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • York was arrested after responding to an online prostitution by the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which confiscated his cellphone and $160 in cash.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • That’s part of why the offense struggled, particularly on third down as Miami only converted two of their nine attempts.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Washington hadn’t converted a third down until its final drive, when Williams converted a third-and-11 pass, then hit a fourth-and-two bomb for 43 yards.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of converted
Verb
  • But by the end of the movie, Verity is dead and her publishing empire has been usurped by her ghostwriter.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Jason Speaking of football-loving families, the Kelces seem to have usurped the Mannings for the sport’s first family.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of usurped
Verb
  • The store owner grabbed a gun and fired, sending the group fleeing empty-handed, according to FOX13 Seattle.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Protesters grabbed metal barriers blocking off the street and charged a row of cops before the officers were able to pull the barriers away from them.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Built in 1784, the home was originally occupied by a prominent Salem merchant dealing in rum and Sumatran pepper.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defenses overnight downed 646 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • While the 28-year-old hit 19 homers and stole 41 bases, his 98 wRC+ ranked 14th among qualified second basemen.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Someone stole the entrance sign at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during the weekend, and park officials are asking for its return.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of stole

Browse Nearby Words

commandeer
commandeered
commandeering
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Cite this Entry

“Commandeered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeered. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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