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
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
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Furthermore, viruses exploit these interactions by hijacking host proteins to replicate during infection.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
-
This constant barrage overshadows the self-care experience, hijacking my focus and frankly, tiring me out.—
Caelan McMichael,
Allure,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Monday’s agreement stems from the August 2023 search of the Marion County Record, as well as the home of the paper’s publisher and a councilwoman, seizing reporters’ cell phones and computers, among other items.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Since seizing power, the Burmese military has waged an unrelenting campaign of terror.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That November 2013 visit led to a weeklong FBI seizure in April 2014 that captured worldwide attention as people questioned how and why a nonagenarian Hoosier, considered a pillar of his community, hoarded cultural treasures for so long while evading the law.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
5 Nov. 2025
-
That first seizure had a profound impact on Chase.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 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
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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
-
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
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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
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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
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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 19 Nov. 2025.
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