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expropriating

verb

present participle of expropriate
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

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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

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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expropriating
  1. seizing
  2. evicting
  3. confiscating
  4. stealing
  5. dispossessing
  6. usurping
  7. depriving
  8. grabbing
Verb
  • At their height, jihadi groups proved capable of spectacular violence, forming alliances amid civil wars and even seizing territory.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of seizing
Verb
  • In 1968 Britain considered evicting the family by force, with declassified documents showing a plan to raze the fort.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, landlords are already evicting tenants with expiring vouchers.
    — Ana Rodriguez, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of evicting
Verb
  • 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
  • The Cuban government has a long history of seizing private property from foreign investors and confiscating private businesses, back to the early days of the revolution, when Fidel Castro confiscated all private businesses.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of confiscating
Verb
  • The team views stealing bags, however, as a different equation, an entirely different part of baseball philosophy.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Two individuals accused of stealing over $5,000 worth of music equipment from a Citrus Heights high school have been arrested after police requested the community’s help.
    — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of stealing
Verb
  • Mandi was in control of the ball, going nowhere fast, and there was little prospect of dispossessing him from Messi’s position.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of dispossessing
Verb
  • Last year, netizens coined a new term to reflect our growing disdain for AI bots slowly usurping our human agency.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In this way, the tech is being used to elevate human intelligence, rather than usurping it.
    — William Jones, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of usurping
Verb
  • Earlier this year, he was found guilty of intentionally possessing a slave at his Point Cook home and depriving her of basic human rights, including food, sleep and medical assistance.
    — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • According to Lahey, depriving kids of desirable difficulties results in kids who can’t handle frustration, give up at the first hint of a challenge, and are less able to learn.
    — Cheryl Maguire, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of depriving
Verb
  • The burger eventually went viral, grabbing the attention of corporate, which put a stop to it, Eater reported in 2013.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Springshot urged the court to pause Spirit’s data sale until a transparent forensic process establishes that none of the data Google is grabbing is actually owned by third parties.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of grabbing

Browse Nearby Words

expropriates
expropriating
expropriation
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Cite this Entry

“Expropriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expropriating. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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