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

Relevance
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 The Loa River was commandeered in its entirety, source to mouth. — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026 Both the Russian and Chinese governments have been compromising routers for years, sometimes in prolonged tugs-of-war to wrest control of devices the other has already commandeered. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 13 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 Since last year, when the RSF overran parts of Darfur and Kordofan, the militia has commandeered the gum trade, integrating it into its smuggling empire and further starving government coffers. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026 The police had established barriers for the zone earlier in the afternoon, which rioters commandeered to fight back against police. — Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026 If squirrels have commandeered your bird feeder, take it down for a few days. — Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 28 May 2026 But renewable technology, coupled with electrification, is ready for prime time and has now commandeered a starring role. — Kathleen Biggins, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeered
  1. hijacked
  2. seized
  3. confiscated
  4. converted
  5. usurped
  6. grabbed
  7. occupied
  8. stole
Verb
  • After proving his roster worth early on as a rookie, a shoulder injury hijacked his growth.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, the ship was hijacked by seven armed Somali pirates.
    — Omar Faruk, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of hijacked
Verb
  • The national retailers who seized the opportunity, in turn, helped make the neighborhood still more attractive to affluent newcomers and investors.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
  • Tom Slingsby took the bull by the horns and seized an early lead to take a vital victory in Australia’s first heat.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • All data on the phone was gone, but authorities confiscated it anyway.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
  • Over the years, only four of those superyachts have been confiscated, three of which were sold at discounts.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • The question is whether that can be converted into payment utility without breaking the investment narrative that made Bitcoin valuable in the first place.
    — Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Or up to $35,000 in excess 529 plan funds can be converted over a few years into a Roth IRA on a tax-free basis.
    — Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Definition of converted
Verb
  • Anyway, Mack usurped the starting catcher role upon arrival in Miami, maintaining the same 26 HR per 600 PA pace achieved over his last two seasons of MiLB ball.
    — John Laghezza, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • When talkies usurped silent films, in the late 1920s, theaters scrambled to adapt to a new, squatter format.
    — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of usurped
Verb
  • His teacher grabbed him and ran him bleeding down the halls, in circles, screaming through the school until help caught up.
    — Gabriel Winslow-Yost, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • Bryan Kohberger’s innocence claim and the smoky skies of Boise grabbed the attention the past two days.
    — Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Set in occupied Poland in the middle of the Second World War, Holoubek’s tour de force is part suspenseful western, part gritty wartime noir.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 July 2026
  • Biotechnology has always occupied a unique position on Wall Street.
    — Steve Brozak, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • After Drew Gilbert drew a walk, McCray entered as a pinch-runner and stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Daniel Susac.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
  • Koivun began the third round four shots behind Michael Kim, who stole the headlines on Friday with the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history after firing a remarkable 59.
    — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of stole

Browse Nearby Words

commandeer
commandeered
commandeering
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commandeered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeered. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on commandeered

Nglish: Translation of commandeered for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All