Thesaurus results for PREEMPTED

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

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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 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 The complaint argues that the Kansas law is preempted by federal statute, citing two 1996 laws that limit what public benefits undocumented immigrants can receive. — Matthew Kelly updated June 25, Kansas City Star, 25 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 The industry argued that New York’s public nuisance law is preempted by the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, enacted by Congress in 2005. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 15 June 2026 The Weird and Wild column had to be preempted by other programming these last couple of weeks. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 29 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempted

Verb

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who voted against the proposal in mid-June, voiced fears that the list of noncitizen voters would immediately be seized by federal immigration authorities.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Meanwhile, Russia’s military on Saturday claimed to have seized the city of Kostiantynivka, a key defensive hub in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

— Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 4 July 2026

Definition of seized

Verb

The Dodgers claimed a series win in the four-game home set against their division rival, with the chance to sweep Sunday.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Russia meanwhile has claimed that its forces now control the important town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

Definition of claimed

Verb

The most obvious concession is compensating Cubans and Americans whose assets were confiscated during the revolution.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
With the charges dismissed, Patel will no longer face prosecution and is expected to receive his passport back shortly after it was confiscated by authorities.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 July 2026

Definition of confiscated

Verb

Congress’s celebration, planned for a decade, has been usurped by the president’s celebration, funded by private donors and featuring a political speech by himself.

— Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
The wedding broke the record for the largest single-location mass wedding at the time, until it was usurped in 2023, per Guinness World Records.

— Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026

Definition of usurped

Verb

Vahidi, who assumed the role after his predecessor Mohammad Pakpour was killed in US-Israeli strikes on the first day of the war, is rarely seen in public.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
The composition of the bar changed dramatically as many Loyalist lawyers departed, others were jailed and younger lawyers assumed responsibilities previously held by members of the colonial establishment.

— Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of assumed

Verb

Sununu, who formerly served as governor of New Hampshire, urged Congress to find more money to overhaul the air traffic control system — on top of the billions lawmakers appropriated last year to upgrade communications and radar equipment.

— Joel Rose, NPR, 1 July 2026
The Legislature appropriated $5 million in one-time funding, so next year, lawmakers will have to decide whether to allocate additional money.

— Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026

Definition of appropriated

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preempt

preempted

preempting

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“Preempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempted. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of preempted

verb

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