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 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 Consider ongoing litigation between state governments and prediction-market companies, where the two sides are debating whether states are preempted from enforcing their gambling laws by a federal law on prediction markets. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempted
  1. seized
  2. claimed
  3. confiscated
  4. usurped
  5. occupied
  6. grabbed
  7. assumed
  8. appropriated
Verb
  • Meanwhile in 2023, the company seized the opportunity to launch on TikTok Shop with select brands shortly after the platform’s Stateside debut, and has since continued to innovate there through live-selling and cutting-edge creator partnerships.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The filing cites items that were seized from her home in a federal investigation with no assurance that they will be returned, as well as unauthorized people who gained access to her Los Angeles residence.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • In 2002, 25% of disability benefit recipients claimed primarily for a mental health condition (or a learning or neurodevelopmental condition); by 2025, this had risen to 45%.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Bidh further claimed that the Saudis were the first to leave once the front’s collapse began.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of claimed
Verb
  • York had a cellphone returned to him, but the $160 that police confiscated from him was given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement.
    — Erick Mendoza, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • York was arrested after responding to an online prostitution by the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which confiscated his cellphone and $160 in cash.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • 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
  • Jason Speaking of football-loving families, the Kelces seem to have usurped the Mannings for the sport’s first family.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of usurped
Verb
  • Built in 1784, the home was originally occupied by a prominent Salem merchant dealing in rum and Sumatran pepper.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defenses overnight downed 646 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • The store owner grabbed a gun and fired, sending the group fleeing empty-handed, according to FOX13 Seattle.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Protesters grabbed metal barriers blocking off the street and charged a row of cops before the officers were able to pull the barriers away from them.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Following his passing in 2021, his son, Adam Stewart, assumed the role of Executive Chairman, continuing the family legacy.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The lifting was assumed, God was the obvious entity being addressed, but what mattered most was the us, us, us.
    — Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of assumed
Verb
  • Some Democrats in Congress are now calling for investigations into whether money appropriated for border protection is being used to promote the president’s political message.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The president responded by saying his administration wouldn't spend the $257 million appropriated by Congress on renovating the building unless the building also bears his name.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of appropriated

Browse Nearby Words

preempt
preempted
preempting
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Cite this Entry

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

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