1
as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
dissidents were shot, and their lands expropriated under his regime
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to evict
to end the occupancy or possession of
the state will have to expropriate scores of homeowners in order to build the new road
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to confiscate
to take ownership or control of (something) by right of one's authority
plans by the city to expropriate entire blocks of houses in order to bulldoze them for expansion of the airport
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expropriate
The White minority that had subjugated and ruled the Black majority after expropriating their land, herding them into poor Bantustans and profiting from their cheap labor, would yield to democracy and a new constitution that would grant the right to vote to all South Africans.
—
Lydia Polgreen, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
The government now uses the law as a weapon to expropriate property from bona fide owners, including those previously seen as regime supporters.
—Andrei Yakovlev, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025
His cardinal sin was nationalizing (not expropriating) the hugely profitable Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1951 which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill postulated was integral to the British Navy.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
However, a law passed by South Africa earlier this year does not allow land to be expropriated without an agreement with the owner.
—Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for expropriate
Lydia Polgreen, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
The government now uses the law as a weapon to expropriate property from bona fide owners, including those previously seen as regime supporters.
—Andrei Yakovlev, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025
His cardinal sin was nationalizing (not expropriating) the hugely profitable Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1951 which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill postulated was integral to the British Navy.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
However, a law passed by South Africa earlier this year does not allow land to be expropriated without an agreement with the owner.
—Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for expropriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expropriate
Verb
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The man reported to the Sheriff’s Office he had been scammed; the Sheriff’s Office then obtained a warrant and seized $14,120 from the ATM.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
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Failing to seize the narrative, the authorities shifted course and began erasing the record from public memory.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Westmoreland—who also, to be fair, had a habit of not charging friends for many drinks at all—was evicted from the subway location in 2001.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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That was a remarkable turnaround from a player who appeared poised to be the first person evicted out of the house.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Exxon was the first American company to sue Cuban state companies, Cimex and Unión Cuba-Petróleo in 2019, for the exploitation of service stations confiscated by the Cuban government.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
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In this exclusive clip, the sisters encounter one of the magical objects their ancestor confiscated.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the sheriff and of usurping her authority, leading the county Board of Supervisors to eliminate his position in November 2024.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
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In the battle to usurp the Conservative Party, Robinson is eclipsed by the growing strength of Reform UK, a political party led by Nigel Farage.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This involves labeling people according to categories that deprive them of positive human qualities.—
Ron Barrett,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
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The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday estimated that a shutdown could furlough roughly 750,000 federal workers each day, depriving them of about $400 million in wages daily.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Of course, due to all of these developments, everyone finally knows that the man who kidnapped Sam and stole the dope is Robbie Pendergrast.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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But their double life gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret starts to steal their fans.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As with the enclosures in England and Scotland, villagers were uprooted and dispossessed to make way for sheep and cattle.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Sep. 2025
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How a state comes to control another land and its people, sometimes slowly dispossessing the natives of their lands, sometimes laying waste to them, sometimes committing genocide.—
Philip Metres
August 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The ball popped up in the air and Bolton was there to grab it, except he was hit by teammate Drue Tranquill.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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Sasaki was the necessary answer on Monday night, coming in to secure the final out and avoid disaster as Freddie Freeman sprawled out to grab Tommy Edman’s final throw to first base.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expropriate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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