EXPROPRIATE Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

expropriate

verb

ek-ˈsprō-prē-ˌāt

Definition of expropriate

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

Relevance

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of expropriate Gray says the project, revolving around an elderly woman seeking revenge on a foreign company that expropriated her land to build a luxury ski resort, offers international casting and co-producer angles but that the configuration will depend on Kawawada’s artistic vision. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2026 Farmland and forests owned jointly by a village or a clan were likewise expropriated by the Japanese since no single individual could claim them. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026 Much of that early ’Lo gear was boosted from department stores across the New York tristate Area, and ‘Lo Heads ran the risk of their own spoils being expropriated back home. — Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2026 After all, Exxon had its oil assets expropriated in Venezuela less than 20 years ago. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expropriate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expropriate

Verb

But the truth of it is that Sharaa forced his hand by seizing swathes of the SDF’s territory in a lightning offensive in January.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
Who knows more of the injustice of the world than the girl who saw her town seized by a white-supremacist coup, the Wilmington massacre, in 1898?

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of seize

Verb

The affair resulted in Attila’s breakup, the (temporary) end of his best-friendship, and Joel getting evicted from Small’s house.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2026
That meant the vote came down to either Lala or ally Taylor Brown, and the house elected to evict LaTrice by a vote of 4-2.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of evict

Verb

Additional devices were reportedly confiscated at James' home, officials said.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Lebanese soldiers deployed there are tasked with preventing armed non-state actors, like Hezbollah, from coming in; confiscating any weapons and remnants of war; and restoring state authority.

— Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of confiscate

Verb

Jason Speaking of football-loving families, the Kelces seem to have usurped the Mannings for the sport’s first family.

— Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
For the most part, California has declined to usurp local governments’ power to decide what is built where, which has yielded relentless development of wildlands.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of usurp

Verb

There won’t be enough offshore flow to create much of any canyon winds but enough to deprive the region of the cooling sea breeze, forecasters say.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Earlier this summer, one CEO talked about implementing a new T&E system that deprived employees of the right to get personal loyalty benefits from travel.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of deprive

Verb

Last year, when Ohio State hosted Texas, the two QBs were the headliners, but their performances didn’t live up to the hype, as each team’s defense stole the show.

— Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
But Native Americans experienced slavery as stealing of relatives, as a community loss, and it was always intermingled with the stealing of their land and disregard for their sovereignty.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of steal

Verb

Running back If you’re not used to seeing the running back position here, grab a ticket and join the line.

— Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Just like the rest of us that day, most of the dead were just going about such ordinary tasks as showing up for work, grabbing a cup of coffee and traveling on a commercial jetliner, or just trying to lend a hand to people in trouble.

— Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of grab

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expressways

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“Expropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expropriate. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of expropriate

verb

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