1
as in seizing
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
2
as in evicting
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 confiscating
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 expropriating
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
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expropriating
Verb
-
Road closures have been seizing the country’s leafy capital, as vans disgorge military style kit bags and American personnel to match at top hotels.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Human Rights Watch said authorities have taken sweeping steps to curb religious practice, including tearing down churches and crosses, blocking gatherings at unregistered churches and seizing religious materials not approved by the state.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The homeowners were in the process of evicting Jennifer Crouse and John Crouse, who was 70 at the time, police wrote in the affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Several landlords who own similar apartment buildings in the city have described an upswing in nonpaying tenants since the pandemic and greater difficulties in court evicting nonpayers.—
JC Reindl,
Freep.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
While Tehran is being bombarded, the regime’s security forces have been stationed at checkpoints across the city, searching civilians and confiscating their phones.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves both bounced back by stealing Game 2 on the road in their respective series.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
In November, the Justice Department charged the Florida Democrat with stealing $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for her campaign.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
One wonders how long the citizens of those communities are going to put up with the state usurping their authority to govern themselves.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
-
One of the things that's gone really wrong in America is this gas station/convenience store/fast food restaurant that is usurping small town America.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In its filing, the firm accuses Sotheby’s of interfering with its contractual rights and depriving it of the commission tied to the transaction.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The consequence is depriving that young person of meaningful learning experiences that equip them to become the leaders of the future.—
Jeff Raikes,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One person in a Gerrit Cole jersey threw a nasty right hook after grabbing someone from behind.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio similarly drew ridicule when he was caught using a knife and fork to eat pizza instead of grabbing the slice with his hands like any real New Yorker paisano would.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expropriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expropriating. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
