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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of commandeering
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
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
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
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
-
There is no guarantee a Sky takeover of ITV would be cleared by regulators.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
-
But DeMatthews did note that there have been disagreements seen in the takeover of Houston ISD among appointees.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
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
-
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
-
The benefit reductions for November are temporary, and SNAP recipients are expected to receive full benefits once the government shutdown ends and regular appropriations have been approved.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The postal service is primarily self-funded and doesn't depend on the appropriations process to continue running as usual.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-winning acting is known for stealing scenes, but during a recent outing in New York City, her straight-leg jeans took the spotlight.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
There’s a lot of concern among professionals across the creative and media industries that generative AI tools are essentially stealing their work by scraping content available on the Internet.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The 5-11 200-pound standout has accumulated mind-boggling stats through nine games -- 1,098 rushing yards and 17 TDs while grabbing a team-leading 42 passes for 974 yards and 18 scores.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Nikola Jokic put up 26 points on 12 of 15 shooting, while also dishing out nine assists and grabbing nine rebounds.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commandeering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeering. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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