as in takeover
the unlawful taking or withholding of something from the rightful owner under a guise of authority
the development of the colony involved expropriation of large tracts of fertile farmland from the natives
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Recent Examples of expropriation
Palmer Luckey, same thing—equating property expropriation with democracy.
—
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Books permit these corporations—many of them whose foundations are tied to European colonialism and the history of expropriation and looting—to be authors in the telling of history and culture.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The expropriations, along with the firings, consolidated state control of the oil sector and, experts say, drained the country of expertise and investment, inflicting lasting damage.
—Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Following the 2007 expropriations under Chávez, many of these facilities were nationalized, and then undermaintained and allowed to deteriorate.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expropriation
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Books permit these corporations—many of them whose foundations are tied to European colonialism and the history of expropriation and looting—to be authors in the telling of history and culture.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The expropriations, along with the firings, consolidated state control of the oil sector and, experts say, drained the country of expertise and investment, inflicting lasting damage.
—Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Following the 2007 expropriations under Chávez, many of these facilities were nationalized, and then undermaintained and allowed to deteriorate.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expropriation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expropriation
Noun
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In corporate news, shares in Universal Music Group were seen down 6% following reports that Pershing Square had sold its stake in the group, after two failed takeover attempts.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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During these takeovers, authorities say teens often assault people and sometimes each other, commit robberies and carry out other disorderly behavior.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The House will vote on a resolution expressing support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, a war powers resolution pulling troops from Lebanon and one of 12 appropriations bills.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
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On January 23, just days before the funding cutoff, Norton’s office posted on Facebook that a new appropriations package for the Smithsonian included funding for the Anacostia Community Museum.—
Camille Borders,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Detecting a seizure The technology proved especially valuable during one of Grayson's emergency room visits.—
Nicky Zizaza,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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The seizure in Australia included two different species, dubia cockroaches and Madagascar hissing cockroaches.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Eric Lutzens/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images Since then, the family has been working on the annexation and zoning for a new location in the Town of Hudson.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
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These range from narratives on the current status of Crimea and justifications for the war in Ukraine to the history of NATO and justification for Russia’s annexation of Baltic states during World War II.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Those laws sought to alter the reporting structure for the secretary or the directors in violation of Amendment 33 of the Arkansas Constitution, which protects the vested powers of constitutional boards, like the Board of Corrections, from usurpation by the governor, the General Assembly or both.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2026
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This is an ancient practice that continues into the Middle Ages called usurpation.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expropriation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expropriation. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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