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
Apparently, using the two ingredients in tandem can cause irritation, but that hasn’t been the case for me—in fact, the moisturizer seems to preempt the drying that can sometimes occur with retinol.
—
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025
The bill comes ahead of parliamentary elections that are required to be held by April, with lawmakers seeking to preempt any potential external interference.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
As set forth below, the claims are either preempted, filed in the wrong tribunal, or defective as a matter of law because CAA lacks standing to bring the claim.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2025
In the aftermath of Appomattox, ex-Confederates moved quickly, using propaganda, fraud, and terrorism, to preempt Black freedom and impose a system akin to slavery.
— Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preempt
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025
The bill comes ahead of parliamentary elections that are required to be held by April, with lawmakers seeking to preempt any potential external interference.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
As set forth below, the claims are either preempted, filed in the wrong tribunal, or defective as a matter of law because CAA lacks standing to bring the claim.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2025
In the aftermath of Appomattox, ex-Confederates moved quickly, using propaganda, fraud, and terrorism, to preempt Black freedom and impose a system akin to slavery.
— Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempt
Verb
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These results suggest that media-savvy Democrats who seize this moment to call out Trump and the MAGA agenda could put themselves in a strong position to become the next leader of the Democratic Party.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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No law in this country permits the president to seize federal funds and to just keep them until an institution complies with his personal will.—
Destinee Adams,
NPR,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Thankfully this judge, unlike Congress, is unwilling to allow his power to be usurped freely without a fight.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2025
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The door remains open, albeit slightly, for the Blue Jackets to run the table and somehow usurp the Canadiens to enter the playoffs.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The pair collaborated on searching freight shipments, storage units and vehicles to confiscate drugs, targeting marijuana in particular because it was stored locally rather than sent to the DEA, according to officials.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
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Some of them have taken advantage of the departure of foreign and multinational corporations from Russia by buying depreciated assets or simply confiscating them, generally with the support of powerful insiders, such as the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.—
ALEXANDER GABUEV,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Antetokounmpo finished the game by scoring 36 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking two shots.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
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Police said that once Davis left the apartment, the surviving 10-year-old quickly grabbed her baby brother, locked the door and called for help.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The return would be enough to steal Abbott from the Reds.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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The Pacers will return home for Games 5 and 7 (if necessary), which means the Bucks would need to steal two road wins to advance.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Militant violence has afflicted Kashmir, claimed in full but ruled in part by both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan, since the anti-Indian insurgency began in 1989.—
Fayaz Bukhari,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Department of Education claimed the funds went toward diversity, equity and inclusion programming.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That converts to a 0.093% blood alcohol content by volume.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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This vac is also a hybrid model that converts into a handheld option for more portable or exact cleaning needs, plus charging is made particularly easy thanks to a wall-mountable charging port.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Last spring, Harvard students protesting Israel's retaliatory attacks on Gaza occupied the university's central courtyard for 20 days and staged a 24-hour sit-in in another building.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The Israeli Defense Forces now claim to occupy some 30% of Gaza territory.—
Lucien Bruggeman,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempt. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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