as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
the thoughtless teenagers had preempted front-row seats that were reserved for the guests of honor
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preempt
Kimmel's show received its highest ratings in a decade despite Sinclair and Nexstar continuing to preempt the show during its first night.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
DeSantis signed a bill this year preempting local governments from blocking development of a presidential library, aiming to overrule potential opposition in liberal-leaning counties or municipalities.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Stock indexes closed higher Monday, brushing off worries that mass layoffs could hit consumer spending or that a shutdown would preempt the release of Friday’s September jobs report.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025
The late-night show returned to ABC days later, drawing more than 6 million viewers, despite Nextar and Sinclair affiliates preempting the show.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preempt
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
DeSantis signed a bill this year preempting local governments from blocking development of a presidential library, aiming to overrule potential opposition in liberal-leaning counties or municipalities.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Stock indexes closed higher Monday, brushing off worries that mass layoffs could hit consumer spending or that a shutdown would preempt the release of Friday’s September jobs report.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025
The late-night show returned to ABC days later, drawing more than 6 million viewers, despite Nextar and Sinclair affiliates preempting the show.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempt
Verb
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The man reported to the Sheriff’s Office he had been scammed; the Sheriff’s Office then obtained a warrant and seized $14,120 from the ATM.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
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Failing to seize the narrative, the authorities shifted course and began erasing the record from public memory.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the sheriff and of usurping her authority, leading the county Board of Supervisors to eliminate his position in November 2024.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
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In the battle to usurp the Conservative Party, Robinson is eclipsed by the growing strength of Reform UK, a political party led by Nigel Farage.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Exxon was the first American company to sue Cuban state companies, Cimex and Unión Cuba-Petróleo in 2019, for the exploitation of service stations confiscated by the Cuban government.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
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In this exclusive clip, the sisters encounter one of the magical objects their ancestor confiscated.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The ball popped up in the air and Bolton was there to grab it, except he was hit by teammate Drue Tranquill.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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Sasaki was the necessary answer on Monday night, coming in to secure the final out and avoid disaster as Freddie Freeman sprawled out to grab Tommy Edman’s final throw to first base.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Of course, due to all of these developments, everyone finally knows that the man who kidnapped Sam and stole the dope is Robbie Pendergrast.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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But their double life gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret starts to steal their fans.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Scammers will call or text consumers claiming to be a legitimate institution, such as a bank or a government institution.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
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Eight unoccupied houses were claimed by roaring Atlantic surf this week on the Outer Banks — a 200-mile ribbon of barrier islands on the North Carolina coast — as Hurricane Humberto and Hurricane Imelda passed offshore.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the electrified city of the future, parking spaces could be converted into lots for ridesharing and robotaxis, supercharging stations and dedicated bike lanes, said Kara Kockelman, professor of transportation engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Taiwan converts time into a weapon by turning drones into throughput problems, from design to fab to field to refresh.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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William Byron, Chase Briscoe, and Joey Logano occupy the sixth, seventh, and eighth places in the same order.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Blair would bring years of political and negotiating experience to the task after occupying 10 Downing Street for a decade and later acting as an international envoy in the Middle East.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempt. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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