as in attaching
to take ownership or control of (something) by right of one's authority
anything that might be used as a weapon will be confiscated by the security guards
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Recent Examples of confiscating
Sunday morning's incident follows the NYPD confiscating vehicles and making arrests last month related to a meet-up in Maspeth, Queens, where fire was involved.
—
Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 10 May 2026
His first exhibition in 1963 reportedly caused a stir, with a vice squad identifying pornography in at least two of his paintings and confiscating them.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
His first exhibition in 1963 reportedly caused a stir, with a vice squad identifying pornography in at least two of his paintings, and confiscating them.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
The sisters’ mother, Vesta Louis, told Politico this week that federal investigators raided both of their homes in simultaneous operations on March 23, confiscating their cellphones and other electronics.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 2 Apr. 2026
At the same time, CBP reported a surge in drug seizures after agents confiscating more than 79,000 pounds of narcotics nationwide last month, the highest monthly total since October 2021.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
As tension erupts between Jewish settlers and Palestinian rebels, the British police and Army enforce an indiscriminate crackdown on Arab villagers, confiscating their land, enforcing curfews, limiting travel, and beating and arresting any who resist.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Now the city wants more tools to expand its limited enforcement options, which would start with warnings, then fines and may include confiscating food, equipment and carts found in violation of city ordinance and health codes.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Video of the incident shows a CBP officer confiscating the handgun shortly before other agents shot Pretti multiple times, killing him.
—Paul Kiefer, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 10 May 2026
His first exhibition in 1963 reportedly caused a stir, with a vice squad identifying pornography in at least two of his paintings and confiscating them.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
His first exhibition in 1963 reportedly caused a stir, with a vice squad identifying pornography in at least two of his paintings, and confiscating them.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
The sisters’ mother, Vesta Louis, told Politico this week that federal investigators raided both of their homes in simultaneous operations on March 23, confiscating their cellphones and other electronics.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 2 Apr. 2026
At the same time, CBP reported a surge in drug seizures after agents confiscating more than 79,000 pounds of narcotics nationwide last month, the highest monthly total since October 2021.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
As tension erupts between Jewish settlers and Palestinian rebels, the British police and Army enforce an indiscriminate crackdown on Arab villagers, confiscating their land, enforcing curfews, limiting travel, and beating and arresting any who resist.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Now the city wants more tools to expand its limited enforcement options, which would start with warnings, then fines and may include confiscating food, equipment and carts found in violation of city ordinance and health codes.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Video of the incident shows a CBP officer confiscating the handgun shortly before other agents shot Pretti multiple times, killing him.
—Paul Kiefer, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confiscating
Verb
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The trailer shows an ambulance racing away from Diddly Squat Farm, followed by cell-phone footage of a nurse attaching probes to Clarkson’s chest in a hospital bed as a machine beeps in the background.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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Designed as a complete portable signal path rather than a basic adapter, the MD3 has dual USB-C ports for attaching to a smartphone and charging at the same time.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The laws, which her party backed in recent years, eliminated preliminary detention in certain cases and raised the threshold for seizing criminal assets.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
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Hollander plays a vicious Irish mobster hell bent on seizing the palatial estate Reno has dedicated his life to protect after its heir runs afoul of his compatriots abroad.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Verb
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In his view, the administration is effectively expropriating the decision-making power of owners and handing it to the state.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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People who compost their food scraps and yard trimmings can contribute to reducing landfill methane emissions; improving soil health; and sequestering carbon, according to the EPA.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Some residents have accused the police of sequestering fuel supplies, according to local media.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confiscating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confiscating. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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