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
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expropriate
Since 2022, the Ukrainian government has proceeded systematically to expropriate the assets of these companies, diminishing the interests of private investors, and, in the end, decreasing the amount of energy actually produced.
—
Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
About a dozen European companies have had their Russian subsidiaries expropriated by presidential decree, including Danish brewer Carlsberg and Finnish utility Fortum and the Kremlin has warned of more asset seizures.
—Anna Hirtenstein and Alexander Marrow, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
From the fourteenth century onward, Ottoman sultans regularly expropriated their subjects, including merchants, soldiers, and state officials.
—Timur Kuran, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
Castillo at one time threatened to expropriate mining concessions and Petro has pledged to halt oil and coal investment and exploration in a unilateral bid to address climate change.
—Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for expropriate
Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
About a dozen European companies have had their Russian subsidiaries expropriated by presidential decree, including Danish brewer Carlsberg and Finnish utility Fortum and the Kremlin has warned of more asset seizures.
—Anna Hirtenstein and Alexander Marrow, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
From the fourteenth century onward, Ottoman sultans regularly expropriated their subjects, including merchants, soldiers, and state officials.
—Timur Kuran, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
Castillo at one time threatened to expropriate mining concessions and Petro has pledged to halt oil and coal investment and exploration in a unilateral bid to address climate change.
—Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for expropriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expropriate
Verb
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In 2024, the DEA seized more than 60 million counterfeit pills and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder nationwide — enough to deliver more than 380 million lethal doses.—
Mark Michalek,
Denver Post,
28 June 2025
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Holding its 24th edition from July 4 – 12, the Swiss showcase for fantastical film, Asian cinema and digital creation has evolved in tow, growing from upstart to institution as outré fare and auteurs seized ever-greater opportunities.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Land Power vividly shows the lasting consequences of this redistribution of land, for instance in the case of the Cahuilla Indians of California’s Coachella Valley, a people first confined to reservations and then evicted from even those lands in the 1950s.—
Michael Albertus,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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Months or even years can pass before the owner of the property finally succeeds in evicting the squatters.—
Chris West,
Baltimore Sun,
12 June 2025
Verb
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The agents ultimately released him, but confiscated his driver’s license.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
20 June 2025
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Most importantly, Johnson must support police Superintendent Larry Snelling’s request for the authority to call a snap curfew in emergencies and direct city agencies to confiscate vehicles and other personal property from those who engage in disruptive behavior.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2025
Verb
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The administration hailed the ruling as a monumental check on the powers of individual district court judges, whom Trump supporters have argued want to usurp the president’s authority with rulings blocking his priorities around immigration and other matters.—
Tim Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
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The administration hailed the ruling as a monumental check on the powers of individual district court judges, whom Trump supporters have argued are usurping the president’s authority with rulings blocking his priorities on immigration and other matters.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Additionally, the nearly $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid could deprive more than 10 million Americans of health insurance and regular access to doctors.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2025
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This deprives patients of the possible benefit of a new treatment while elevating their risk.—
Madison Plunkert,
Baltimore Sun,
23 June 2025
Verb
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This attack works through thousands of dangerous websites, stealing credit card or PayPal details as soon as they’re entered.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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In a near-future Kolkata, ravaged by climate change, one family is about to escape, until their visas are stolen.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The term is Albertus’s rather mild moniker for the violent way European settlers seized swaths of the earth, dispossessing and often killing those who already inhabited them.—
Michael Albertus,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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There was a pirouette and backheel flick in the 38th minute, which did not lead to much, and a 67th-minute dribble inside off the left flank that only saw him get dispossessed.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
8 May 2025
Verb
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My father seemed to crumple a little, shuddering, grabbing the edge of his desk to steady himself.—
Ottessa Moshfegh,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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Now, folks heading to Shenandoah National Park or beyond can grab some gas, hit the jerky wall, nab a Dr Pepper Icee, load up on fudge, use the famously clean bathrooms, and stock up on Buc-ee’s merch before heading back out on the road.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expropriate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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