preempted

verb

past tense of preempt
as in seized
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 preempted While the Jeter/A-Rod/Big Papi jawing session preempted the usual transmission of commercial messages, the break was conspicuously sponsored by official MLB backer and longstanding World Series patron T-Mobile. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2026 But the state supreme court affirmed in a 5-2 decision that Boulder’s legal claims are not preempted by federal law and that a trial could proceed in Boulder district court. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026 The companies argue that the local claims are preempted by federal laws such as the Clean Air Act. — Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 The rollout was preempted when hackers leaked apparent footage online this week. — Russ Bynum, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 In May, the Second Circuit ruled that New York’s law was preempted by federal regulations, specifically the National Bank Act. — P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026 Declare the rules preempted by the 2018 Farm Bill under the Supremacy Clause. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 The California Restaurant Association challenged the ban in federal court, saying the city’s ban preempted Energy Policy and Conservation Act rules on energy use of gas appliances, including those in households and restaurant kitchens. — Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 On July 8, a federal judge in Manhattan denied Kalshi's bid to block New York's regulators, holding the state's gambling laws are not preempted as applied to sports contracts. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempted
  1. seized
  2. claimed
  3. confiscated
  4. usurped
  5. occupied
  6. grabbed
  7. assumed
  8. appropriated
Verb
  • Authorities also blocked all of the paper’s online platforms, seized its printing house and revoked its media registration.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Italian authorities seized the sailboats, and the activists were reported to prosecutors for allegedly disrupting a public service.
    — Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • The man on the line claimed a Mexican drug cartel had kidnapped her 37-year-old daughter.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • While protests in France have claimed most international attention, large demonstrations are also rocking many European cities Saturday from Milan to Madrid, Lisbon and Tirana.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of claimed
Verb
  • Despite the freezing temperatures, agents confiscated the migrants’ coats and refused to give them blankets.
    — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The roughly 3-inch pocket knife was confiscated by authorities, Manfre said.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • But having your name be usurped by a bag is a strangely dehumanizing experience.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of usurped
Verb
  • The current structure, which houses the watch store Bucherer, among other tenants, was built for IBM in 1983, but from 1938 to 1964 this site was occupied by the technology company’s headquarters and showroom.
    — Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Elsewhere in Europe, a huge encampment of tents has occupied a square in Madrid since late last month, and thousands of people in Portugal have taken to the streets in the city of Lisbon.
    — Richard Engel, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • And when Buzelis grabbed that pass out of the air, double-clutching on his way to a dunk, the Bulls could hear for a moment the tune of a new future for this team.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Woodman also alleged that Andreatta grabbed Pagano’s hand and wrist.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner assumed custody of the body for further investigation into the cause of death.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Castro assumed Clark wanted to speak to him about an incident earlier that day in which Castro was accused of threatening an officer with a knife, according to an arrest warrant.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of assumed
Verb
  • But Congress had only appropriated beer money for a champagne project.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The One Big Beautiful Bill Act even appropriated $40 million for the project.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of appropriated

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preempted
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Cite this Entry

“Preempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempted. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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