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
  • The verdict came just three days after regulators seized Ueno Bank, cutting nearly 3 million customers off from their savings and bank cards and setting off a political crisis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Digest Now that the Democratic Party has seized control of Congress, what does that mean for culture, including the debacle over the Smithsonian Institution, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and arts funding?
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • Iran established a chokehold on the strait, a vital strategic waterway in global trade, at the beginning of the war, and has claimed attacks on tankers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Wokoso academics have long claimed that Latinos turn conservative in a desire to become white.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 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
  • Engineers can also adjust channel width to balance performance, power consumption, and the space occupied by a device.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Josie’s, the creation of two San Diego restaurateurs who already have four other dining venues in San Diego, has landed in the Hub Hillcrest Market space formerly occupied by Panera Bread.
    — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • One of the officers grabbed a protester who was filming him and deployed pepper spray after a brief struggle.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The story grabbed worldwide attention and ended tragically when the baby’s body was found in the woods just a few miles from home.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 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
  • Congress appropriated $257 million for the renovation of the Kennedy Center.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Congress had appropriated $257 million for upkeep of the building in 2025, with construction phased out over time and the center remaining open.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of appropriated

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preempted
preempting
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Cite this Entry

“Preempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempted. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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