peculate

verb

Definition of peculatenext
as in to usurp

Related Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for peculate
  1. usurp
  2. embezzle
  3. seize
  4. preempt
  5. appropriate
  6. misuse
  7. arrogate
  8. confiscate
Verb
  • But by the end of the movie, Verity is dead and her publishing empire has been usurped by her ghostwriter.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Murray said that in recent spending negotiations, Democrats fought to include language to prevent the administration from usurping Congress’ power on spending decisions, but Republicans have declined to go along.
    — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of usurp
Verb
  • Her campaign has been relatively free of major bumps since an appeals court in July cleared her path for a fourth run at the presidency, with a ruling that shortened a ban on seeking public office handed down to Le Pen for embezzling public funds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The government is attempting to improve shattered services and open up an economy closed by the corrupt Assad regime, which ran the economy with an iron fist and embezzled billions for the Assad clan and their allies.
    — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of embezzle
Verb
  • Meanwhile in 2023, the company seized the opportunity to launch on TikTok Shop with select brands shortly after the platform’s Stateside debut, and has since continued to innovate there through live-selling and cutting-edge creator partnerships.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The document notes that a bailiff has previously seized and auctioned property from the premises, but that has not met the debt.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • The legislation would also set a federal floor, rather than preempt state laws.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Some have ruled that federal law preempts or blocks states and counties from suing under state law.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of preempt
Verb
  • Chicago Public Schools should fight for every dollar Springfield owes us, while refusing to make promises to families based on money that has not actually been appropriated.
    — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The deep state had appropriated their opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood, redeploying it as justification for the massacre.
    — Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of appropriate
Verb
  • Macedo wrote a letter to Steve Kawa, the chair of the authority’s board, ahead of the meeting saying that Choudri had misused taxpayer money and abused public trust.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • An Athens-Clarke County police officer has been fired and is under investigation after officials say he was accused of misusing his department's Flock Safety system to search for his ex-girlfriend's vehicle.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of misuse
Verb
  • What shouldn’t happen is for the federal government to arrogate to itself nationalization powers over what fans are so passionate about.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • But all of those ideas for spending or tax rebates, again, all of those are congressional authority that the president is arrogating to himself—something else that would have startled the founders of the country all those 250 years ago.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Definition of arrogate
Verb
  • Those numbers include 759 false identification cards confiscated, 378 alcohol-possession-by-a-minor violations and 98 fake-ID citations during the calendar-year reporting period, according to Oxford Police.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Police returned 13 of the cats confiscated in the raid to their owners.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscate
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Pecksniffian
peculate
peculated
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Cite this Entry

“Peculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peculate. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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