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
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
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
Trump declared a crime emergency earlier in August, and his administration deployed federal law enforcement agencies and National Guard members to the District, giving them unprecedented authority to patrol its streets while also commandeering the Metropolitan Police force.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
View 3 Images By commandeering smart thermostats and water heaters and sipping power from in-home EV chargers, virtual power plants are being formed across the country.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
She was accused of commandeering a car owned by a neighbor and former friend and then driving it into the woman, according to court papers.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Rita Ora once again returns as co-host alongside Seacrest, who’s marking his 20th year commandeering the holiday staple.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
Companies got creative when shipping costs skyrocketed, placing orders directly with factories to cut out intermediaries or commandeering their own container ships and planes to ensure timely delivery.
—Shannon K. O'Neil, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2021
Verb
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
Trump declared a crime emergency earlier in August, and his administration deployed federal law enforcement agencies and National Guard members to the District, giving them unprecedented authority to patrol its streets while also commandeering the Metropolitan Police force.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
View 3 Images By commandeering smart thermostats and water heaters and sipping power from in-home EV chargers, virtual power plants are being formed across the country.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
She was accused of commandeering a car owned by a neighbor and former friend and then driving it into the woman, according to court papers.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Rita Ora once again returns as co-host alongside Seacrest, who’s marking his 20th year commandeering the holiday staple.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
Companies got creative when shipping costs skyrocketed, placing orders directly with factories to cut out intermediaries or commandeering their own container ships and planes to ensure timely delivery.
—Shannon K. O'Neil, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeering
Noun
-
Advertisement Though the families once wielded far-reaching control within New York City, their influence—and membership—have been buffeted since the 1980s by corporate takeovers and prosecutions, according to experts.—
Time,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The leading takeover candidate is aspiring Hollywood empire-builder David Ellison, son of one of the world’s wealthiest people.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This constant barrage overshadows the self-care experience, hijacking my focus and frankly, tiring me out.—
Caelan McMichael,
Allure,
7 Oct. 2025
-
These devices emit bursts of electromagnetic energy across multiple bands, effectively blinding or hijacking most standard FPV drones that depend on Wi-Fi or radio.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Fentanyl, which was responsible for the overwhelming majority of them, doesn’t come from Venezuela, and the Coast Guard has no record of seizing it in the Caribbean.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The purchase of the rifle was possible because IMPD and the Marion County prosecutors never filed a red flag petition with the court after seizing the shotgun.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cipher at one point recounts Andre’s seizures in Elmira, but later, Doug reveals how Andre persisted inside that prison.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Then, at 38 weeks in late September, Wootten had back-to-back seizures.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The sweeping opinion ran through a list of Israeli practices that the ICJ said violated international law, including confiscating land, building Israeli settlements in the territories, and depriving Palestinians of natural resources and the right to self-determination.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Lower courts initially sided with Jouppi, finding that confiscating an entire airplane over the cases of beer was excessive.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This pragmatic project expanded the White House's capacity during a period of global crisis and was funded through wartime appropriations.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Salaries for some federal employees, including the vast majority of those at the Department of Veterans Affairs, do not come out of appropriations that Congress must approve every year.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
And the scam compounds in Cambodia continue to operate, stealing money from victims including US citizens.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These are especially useful for taking public transport, grabbing a quick coffee, or leaving a small tip at a restaurant.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Peterson led the way, scoring 26 points — 24 before halftime — and grabbing four rebounds.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commandeering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeering. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share