1
as in hijacks
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in seizes
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 commandeers
The service Bjorn commandeers a small team, and often doubles up as bartender, concierge, and sauna turn-oner.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
In the middle of the stuffy reception, Jenny commandeers the A/V system, blasting punk rock while a squad of models, clad in her early-aughts emo designs, climb on tables.
—Matthew Huff, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.
—Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
In the middle of the stuffy reception, Jenny commandeers the A/V system, blasting punk rock while a squad of models, clad in her early-aughts emo designs, climb on tables.
—Matthew Huff, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.
—Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeers
Verb
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In the final cut, Mabel accidentally stumbles upon research being done by her biology professor (Kathy Najimy), discovers the technology, and hijacks a robot beaver.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
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By feeding a stodgy institutional figure like Powell into the AI-meme deluge, the internet hijacks the Federal Reserve’s image and accelerates it past the point of professional control.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Nov. 2025
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Milwaukee Marshall High School confiscates a student’s phone until the end of the day for a first offense, requires a parent pickup after a second offense and issues an automatic suspension for repeat violations.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Fans start to notice what's happening about five seconds into it, and then another man comes up behind the fan, grabs him and tackles him into the seats.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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And if no candidate grabs a majority in either of those races, this district’s voters might have to go to the polls four times.—
East Bay Times editorial board,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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After witnessing Sinner miss 16 break points against the same opponent on Friday, Alcaraz would have been forgiven for worrying that something similar might happen to him — especially against arguably tennis’s greatest escape artist, at least until the Spaniard usurps him.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Jokic usurps Nurkic Jusuf Nurkic became Jokic’s first backup center in unceremonious fashion, getting benched by Michael Malone 25 games into his third season.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Denied children in life, a kuntilanak steals them, those in utero and those already born.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
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What is it called when someone steals your coffee?—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Still, politics are rarely articulated in #vintagelife, which, with its manic reiteration of past-tense norms, occupies a peculiar position in relation to mainstream culture.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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But the school occupies its own campus, Schwarzman College, modeled on the individual venues at Harvard and Oxford, boasting their own historic facades, where students live and dine.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The state appropriates within its budget to ensure bond holders know the state has the money, but the state hasn’t had to use that money because the admissions tax and tax district have funded the bond, Huston said.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeers. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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