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
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
Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeers
Verb
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After all, if an attacker hijacks the agent’s credentials or manipulates its input data, the agent could take harmful actions faster and more persistently than any human user.—
Michael DeCesare,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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In their new action-comedy movie The Pickup, Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson play armored truck drivers who are reluctantly pulled into a casino heist when a burglar (Keke Palmer) hijacks their vehicle.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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During a physical confrontation, Matheo forces Saskia to retreat, and Sylvie seizes the opportunity to grab Saskia’s gun.—
Time,
Time,
21 Aug. 2025
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The Commandant is a monstrously charismatic figure, the kind of character that seizes all available oxygen.—
Katie Kitamura
August 21,
Literary Hub,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As fans scramble to catch the ball, footage shows, the ball appears to land one row in front of a woman while a man runs over and grabs it.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
7 Sep. 2025
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With City’s left-back, Matheus Nunes, moving out of position to press Mainoo, Ugarte’s involvement grabs the attention of Ilkay Gundogan and Josko Gvardiol.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rachel McAdams is terrific as Margaret’s mom, balancing ambition and self-doubt, while Oscar-winner Kathy Bates steals the show (big surprise) as the fiercely loving grandmother.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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His latest is the story of a teenager who steals his driving instructor’s car in order to visit his girlfriend in college.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Voisin gives a cerebral performance of a man who occupies and contributes to a thrillingly tactile space while his antennae are attuned to another realm entirely.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
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In 2008, Russian troops invaded the country and got within striking distance of the capital; to this day, Russia occupies 20 percent of Georgia’s land.—
Lauren Grodstein,
The Atlantic,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Braisted explained that the school district answers to the state, which appropriates most federal funding for MNPS.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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These words have different meanings in the context of AAVE, some say, and using them in a way that appropriates or stereotypes certain people groups strips away the importance of the original definitions.—
Mia Thurow,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The digestive process in the stomach and intestines breaks down or converts food into glucose.—
Amber J. Tresca,
Verywell Health,
6 Sep. 2025
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Here is the emphasis on the hardscrabble beginnings and obstacles to be overcome, here is the recognition of a truly raw but once-in-a-lifetime talent that converts the nonbelivers, here are the early wins and the training montages and the tragedies and the comebacks.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Under state law, the legislature currently preempts all authority of a home rule charter or city government to regulate firearms and ammunition.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commandeers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeers. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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