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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in hijacking
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commandeering
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
That set off a flurry of diplomatic efforts among European leaders, outraged at the thought of the White House commandeering assets in their custody.
—Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
The bickering survivors of the Canterbury, led by reluctant captain Jim Holden (Steven Strait), become an unlikely band of freedom fighters/kingmakers after commandeering a Martian warship and rebranding it as the Rocinante (named after Don Quixote's horse).
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025
But the position that began as coalition-building has evolved into controlling the floor schedule and flow of information and coordinating and commandeering committee work.
—Sorelle Wyckoff Gaynor, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
Koumba uses them like a concierge service, commandeering Air Force One to jet-set around the world, waited on all the while by a retinue of babes in leopard print.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
Some hosts might not like someone else commandeering the centerpiece of the meal.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025
His obsession with the numbers results in Thiel turning South Park into a surveillance state and commandeering all the students’ data to compile a list of cultists.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Now, Samsung is commandeering some of the screens already set up in homes to display ads.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
Another solution is to manipulate the game with your mind versus commandeering physically.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
That set off a flurry of diplomatic efforts among European leaders, outraged at the thought of the White House commandeering assets in their custody.
—Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
The bickering survivors of the Canterbury, led by reluctant captain Jim Holden (Steven Strait), become an unlikely band of freedom fighters/kingmakers after commandeering a Martian warship and rebranding it as the Rocinante (named after Don Quixote's horse).
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025
But the position that began as coalition-building has evolved into controlling the floor schedule and flow of information and coordinating and commandeering committee work.
—Sorelle Wyckoff Gaynor, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
Koumba uses them like a concierge service, commandeering Air Force One to jet-set around the world, waited on all the while by a retinue of babes in leopard print.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
Some hosts might not like someone else commandeering the centerpiece of the meal.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025
His obsession with the numbers results in Thiel turning South Park into a surveillance state and commandeering all the students’ data to compile a list of cultists.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Now, Samsung is commandeering some of the screens already set up in homes to display ads.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeering
Noun
-
The fanzine will be introduced in New York, Copenhagen and Seoul, each marked by an immersive takeover of an iconic magazine store and café space.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The meeting is an opportunity for parents, teachers and the community to ask questions and learn more about the takeover.—
Lacey Beasley,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There will never again be one rogue program hijacking the sport with attitude and intimidation.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Three men who escaped a Georgia jail were arrested Monday in Florida, accused of hijacking a Lyft ride-share and kidnapping the driver after putting a rope around her neck, according to a criminal complaint.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But seizing current oil production is one thing; overhauling Venezuela's entire oil industry would be another.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has occasionally discussed seizing Greenland since his first term but few initially took his threats seriously.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After the seizure, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected Russian demands for special treatment of the Marinera’s crew during her regular briefing Wednesday.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The seizure struck Saturday afternoon.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After confiscating the device, officials downloaded its data to look at the GPS locations of where the drone had been.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Jewish settlers arriving from Europe are confiscating more and more of their land, enabled and protected by the British administrators of the region.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Some Democrats in the House, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority that has gotten narrower, have also said legislation for DHS appropriations should be used as leverage.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The appropriations package consists of three bills, which have received bipartisan support.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bregman played his first nine seasons with the Houston Astros, winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 — although the first of those yielded a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty of scorn.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Jacob Elordi is known for stealing hearts on and off-screen.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Take after the actress by grabbing them in black, or choose from six additional colors, including burgundy and deep brown.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Healthy cooking often boils down to accessibility and convenience; busy lives can leave people grabbing less nutritious alternatives.—
Virginia Willis,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeering. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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