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

Relevance

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 This week wasn’t a total loss for SerpApi and Perplexity AI, which did manage to get Reddit’s unjust enrichment and unfair competition claims tossed, since they were both preempted by the Copyright Act. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 But the Court finds the state law is likely preempted in many respects. — Samantha Elkins, NBC news, 27 July 2026 Pierron, who recalled not being able to watch the 1986 World Cup final in Olathe because it had been preempted by a telethon, bought season tickets right away. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026 In February 2025, a state appeals court upheld the jury’s verdict, ruling that Missouri’s laws requiring companies to warn of dangers are not preempted by federal law. — Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 The plaintiffs argued that the provisions violated or were preempted by the National Voting Registration Act, as well as a 2018 consent decree between Arizona's secretary of state and the Maricopa County recorder. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 29 June 2026 Trump’s lawyers said federal law preempted or overrode the state law. — Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 Those claims are now preempted by federal law. — Diana Novak Jones, USA Today, 25 June 2026 Felicis preempted the round which brought Runlayer’s total capital raised to $42 million. — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempted
  1. seized
  2. claimed
  3. confiscated
  4. usurped
  5. occupied
  6. grabbed
  7. assumed
  8. appropriated
Verb
  • The national retailers who seized the opportunity, in turn, helped make the neighborhood still more attractive to affluent newcomers and investors.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
  • Tom Slingsby took the bull by the horns and seized an early lead to take a vital victory in Australia’s first heat.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • Mohebi claimed that in the last two weeks Iran had destroyed a wide variety of US military facilities across the region.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • Walter was killed just one day after a fatal crash claimed the life of another e-scooter rider in Brooklyn.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
Definition of claimed
Verb
  • All data on the phone was gone, but authorities confiscated it anyway.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
  • Over the years, only four of those superyachts have been confiscated, three of which were sold at discounts.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • Anyway, Mack usurped the starting catcher role upon arrival in Miami, maintaining the same 26 HR per 600 PA pace achieved over his last two seasons of MiLB ball.
    — John Laghezza, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • When talkies usurped silent films, in the late 1920s, theaters scrambled to adapt to a new, squatter format.
    — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of usurped
Verb
  • Set in occupied Poland in the middle of the Second World War, Holoubek’s tour de force is part suspenseful western, part gritty wartime noir.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 July 2026
  • Biotechnology has always occupied a unique position on Wall Street.
    — Steve Brozak, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • His teacher grabbed him and ran him bleeding down the halls, in circles, screaming through the school until help caught up.
    — Gabriel Winslow-Yost, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • Bryan Kohberger’s innocence claim and the smoky skies of Boise grabbed the attention the past two days.
    — Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Keynes assumed that once material scarcity eased, human beings would naturally turn towards the art of living.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • All because voters assumed that simply reaching the SEC Championship Game and beating Georgia was an unimaginable accomplishment.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of assumed
Verb
  • Money appropriated to help the IRS collect taxes already owed is routine described in terms of spending, waste, or bureaucratic excess.
    — Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • That’s different from what happened after past disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, when Congress appropriated large portions of the amounts that were requested.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of appropriated

Browse Nearby Words

preempt
preempted
preempting
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempted. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on preempted

Nglish: Translation of preempted for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All