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
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Recent Examples of commandeered
The mass grave by the University of Sudan, which was near a building the RSF commandeered as a detention center, likely contains thousands of corpses, al-Abidin said.
—
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
As Afeef shared from Ras Beirut’s Public Secondary School, many of the displaced are sleeping in school buildings, which have been commandeered as emergency shelters for hundreds of people.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
In a hilarious video of the interaction, the former Memphis Grizzlies star — who had 25 points and three blocks in the game — stood stock still as Mandel commandeered the interview.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Police say that when the friend refused, Rosas punched him in the face, knocking out his tooth, and commandeered the car.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Sonoma State commandeered the spotlight, announcing the discontinuation of its sports department due to a hefty $24 million budget deficit.
—Ryan Curry, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer/songwriter/producer who has commandeered the charts for decades with more than 30 Top 40 pop and adult contemporary hits can easily zigzag topics, whether music past and current, shaking a martini, or applying moisturizer.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Schwarzenegger commandeered the stage with then-wife Maria Shriver to thank the crowds for the stellar turnout.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
Not even the closets are safe from being commandeered as exhibit space for the Chicago Collective.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
As Afeef shared from Ras Beirut’s Public Secondary School, many of the displaced are sleeping in school buildings, which have been commandeered as emergency shelters for hundreds of people.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
In a hilarious video of the interaction, the former Memphis Grizzlies star — who had 25 points and three blocks in the game — stood stock still as Mandel commandeered the interview.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Police say that when the friend refused, Rosas punched him in the face, knocking out his tooth, and commandeered the car.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Sonoma State commandeered the spotlight, announcing the discontinuation of its sports department due to a hefty $24 million budget deficit.
—Ryan Curry, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer/songwriter/producer who has commandeered the charts for decades with more than 30 Top 40 pop and adult contemporary hits can easily zigzag topics, whether music past and current, shaking a martini, or applying moisturizer.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Schwarzenegger commandeered the stage with then-wife Maria Shriver to thank the crowds for the stellar turnout.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
Not even the closets are safe from being commandeered as exhibit space for the Chicago Collective.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeered
Verb
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Sometime around 2010, sophisticated malware known as Flame hijacked the mechanism that Microsoft used to distribute updates to millions of Windows computers around the world.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
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Carl says, in a confessional, that the conversation didn’t go anywhere and Kyle just hijacked it by complaining about his life.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In October, the DEA Los Angeles Field Division found 628,000 pills containing carfentanil, while in September, officials seized more than 50,000 counterfeit M30 pills from a person at a gas station in Washington state that turned out to be a mixture of carfentanil and acetaminophen.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The West Metro Drug Task Force has arrested a man and seized a large quantity of drugs following a months-long investigation dating back to November.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That same year, his Brazilian and Spanish passports were confiscated due to the unpaid fines and taxes, per ESPN.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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Officers also confiscated a knife that is believed to have been used in the altercation.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The rocket will launch from a 532-foot (162-meter) long, 131-foot (40-meter) wide barge, the Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang, which has been specially converted for the purpose.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
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Orbán, replacing Hungary’s liberal constitutional system with a centralized executive model, converted Fidesz’s moral vision into the organizing principle of the state.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Vodka had overtaken gin in popularity by 1967, but by 2000 had fully usurped it, like Claudius to King Hamlet—occupied its position, married its wife, and taken control of its lands.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
21 Mar. 2026
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In other words, the apparatus that became the modern movie camera, up until digital technology usurped the role that film cameras played in capturing the first 100 years of filmmaking.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The officer grabbed me and said 'you're arrested,' and just put me in handcuffs and drug and dragged me out.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Much of the film feels like Cronin grabbed a bunch of different clothes off a rack at a clothing store only to end up wearing a bizarrely mismatched outfit that never really comes together.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Israel's military told them explicitly not to, and Lebanese army vehicles were still blocking the path to some southern areas on Friday, the BBC reported, including the entrance to Khiam, which is still occupied by Israeli soldiers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Syria — which occupied a dismal third place in 2024 — has made the most dramatic exit, plunging all the way to 33rd following the fall of the Assad regime.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The guava version is a classic, but the chocolate croissant stole the show.—
Tristan Graziano,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
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Authorities announced charges against another man from whom the shooter allegedly stole the gun used to carry out the shooting, and that man was legally banned from possessing guns because of a past felony.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeered. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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