as in seizing
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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Recent Examples of preempting
The case centers on whether the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has the right to regulate sports event contracts, preempting New Jersey's right to legislate and regulate sports gambling.
—
Contessa Brewer,alex Sherman, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Contessa Brewer,alex Sherman, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempting
Verb
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But many of the best-in-class companies are seizing on the chance to innovate and evolve.—
Shefali Kapadia,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Since seizing effective control over the area after a 2012 standoff with the Philippines, China's coast guard has sought to keep local anglers away from the traditional fishing ground.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After grabbing an early lead Friday evening, the Royals were unable to match their hosts’ prolific offense on Friday.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
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The owner squeezed her hands into the mix of kittens, moving the babies and grabbing the one that did not belong, which turned out to be a tiny mouse.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Besides, usurping Jinkx Monsoon for Miss Piggy would fan the ferocious flames of backstage drama and turmoil (hmmm … Smash season-three idea).—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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Can a President break that compact, without consequence, usurping police powers that were never his to begin with?—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Additionally, Bobby is part of a human trafficking scheme with Tony Curran, bringing in workers from Eastern Europe and confiscating their passports.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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If, for example, the EU speeds up delivery of ammunition and drones from existing stock and extends a financial lifeline to Kyiv by confiscating the $250 billion worth of frozen Russian assets sitting in its banks, the Kremlin may not achieve its strategic goal of Ukraine’s subjugation.—
Alexander Gabuev,
Foreign Affairs,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In Budapest, after the uprising against the Communist regime, Andor — raised by his mother with idealized tales of his dead father — has his world turned upside down when a brutish man appears, claiming to be his true father.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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Instead of can’t-look-away infomercials, there are viral TikToks with users claiming that the devices can, like the once-buzzy weights, give your muscles more of a workout, allegedly burning more calories and aiding weight loss.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Prometheus was chained to a rock for stealing the fire of the gods and giving it to human beings.—
Alan Lightman
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
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Back in May, Steven Hale pleaded guilty to spending about a year between 2021 and 2022 stealing discs from his employer and selling them online through e-commerce sites.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In his testimony, Norwood argues that Entergy failed to consider other less costly options for its generating project in Jefferson County, namely converting the already-existing White Bluff facility to burn natural gas.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Sep. 2025
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The main production pathway for SAF is converting fats and oils into fuel—around 80% is derived from vegetable oils, some of it recovered from restaurants.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The awards are expected to be announced later this year and depend on Congress appropriating the funds, according to the National Science Foundation website.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempting. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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