Thesaurus results for COMMANDEERING

commandeering 1 of 2

noun

as in takeover

the unlawful taking or withholding of something from the rightful owner under a guise of authority the Spanish navy's commandeering of fishing boats and impressment of fishermen

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commandeering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of commandeer

as in hijacking

to take control of (a vehicle) by force an airliner commandeered by terrorists

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as in seizing

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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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 commandeering

Verb

Imagine, then, commandeering a private plane for the ultimate two-week adventure entirely on your own terms. — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026 Although this year’s edition of the Oscars, which aired on ABC on March 15, was hardly in the class of the 1972 installment, there was at least one moment that recalled Johnson’s witty, graceful sendup of stars commandeering the ceremony to climb atop their soapbox. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026 After commandeering the offense with shot volume in recent games, Edwards played a real floor game to get his teammates involved. — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026 According to the board, the measure prohibits any entity from commandeering city property that disrupts the city's operations. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026 This is precisely the type of coercion and commandeering that violates the 10th Amendment. — Laura Romero, ABC News, 26 Jan. 2026 The crux of the coalition’s argument is that the immigration operation in Minnesota constitutes a violation of the Tenth Amendment, which protects the sovereignty of states and bars the federal government from commandeering state and local resources for federal purposes. — Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026 In another way, this is about a coach commandeering a program and rebuilding it the old-fashioned way. — Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2026 In that first game, Jokic was seen commandeering the whiteboard to draw up a play in a timeout. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeering

Noun

Newcastle cannot reach the top as quickly as initially hoped post-takeover, given the financial constraints.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Meanwhile, Boston did its part to make visiting fans feel at home, so much so that a mutual admiration society took root during the Tartan Army’s brief takeover of Beantown’s taprooms.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of takeover

Verb

That is how a quick hotel Wi-Fi session can turn into someone hijacking an account, locking you out, racking up charges or selling your access on the side.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Britain’s far-right has a history of hijacking incidents like this to use as fuel for their own narratives.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 June 2026

Definition of hijacking

Verb

Many developed a deep affection for the country and its artistic innovations, while seizing on business opportunities.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
And some have responded by seizing the female obsession with looks, already rooted in misogyny, and rebranding it with maximum toxicity—in other words, by becoming looksmaxxers.

— Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 2026

Definition of seizing

Noun

Brody also cited the former stockbroker Patten's remorse for his crime of securities fraud, and his history of seizures, which included two in February and May, as other reasons for a non-prison sentence.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 15 July 2026
On Monday, the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued a statement on Facebook announcing the arrests, as well as the seizure of copious amounts of drugs over the course of Phish’s three shows at the Ruoff Music Center.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026

Definition of seizure

Verb

In some videos, survivors accused soldiers of looting apartments and confiscating donated supplies—claims that remain difficult to independently verify but have fueled widespread outrage.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
Amid anecdotal reports that airport security services have been confiscating bottles of ranch dressing that sports tourists have tried to smuggle out of the country, Kraft Heinz came up with a TSA-friendly size of ranch dressing.

— Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 25 June 2026

Definition of confiscating

Noun

The measure, part of the annual State Department appropriations bill, now heads to the Senate.

— Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 17 July 2026
The amendment, considered on the floor as part of the annual National Security, Department of State, and related programs appropriations bill, saw 103 Democrats vote yes.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 16 July 2026

Definition of appropriation

Verb

Those charges stem from Vick allegedly breaking into a former girlfriend’s home, and he is accused of stealing multiple electronic devices, as well as unscrewing the camera that had been located on the porch of her home.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
Do resigned and admitted to stealing millions in discretionary funds meant to help seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic, instead directing the money to a nonprofit connected to him, according to an LAist report.

— Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 13 July 2026

Definition of stealing

Verb

Permethrin is a spray that works on clothing and gear to keep ticks from grabbing you, but do not put it directly on your skin!

— Amanda Roome, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
As recently as 2021, he was accused of grabbing the mother of one of his children and throwing her to the ground.

— Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of grabbing

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commandeering

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“Commandeering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeering. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of commandeering

noun

verb

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