as in takeover
the unlawful taking or withholding of something from the rightful owner under a guise of authority
longtime residents resented the preemption of their urban neighborhood by this influx of affluent yuppies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preemption
This supply-side reform is gaining momentum across states, where over 100 pro-housing bills were signed into law in 2025, with Texas and California leading on zoning preemption.
—
Brad Hunter, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The program was reinstated nearly a week later, though two broadcast groups (Nexstar and Sinclair) decided to maintain their preemption in several territories.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Jan. 2026
The primary suit is flimsy and the hand too weak overall, but the conditions are near-perfect for aggressive preemption, so that might not stop me.
—Arkansas Online, 4 Jan. 2026
The Indiana report's authors argue that state lawmakers are increasingly using preemption to target policies that could help lower-income Hoosiers and others in vulnerable groups.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preemption
Brad Hunter, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The program was reinstated nearly a week later, though two broadcast groups (Nexstar and Sinclair) decided to maintain their preemption in several territories.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Jan. 2026
The primary suit is flimsy and the hand too weak overall, but the conditions are near-perfect for aggressive preemption, so that might not stop me.
—Arkansas Online, 4 Jan. 2026
The Indiana report's authors argue that state lawmakers are increasingly using preemption to target policies that could help lower-income Hoosiers and others in vulnerable groups.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preemption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preemption
Noun
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Downtown Los Angeles is no stranger to wild street takeovers where crowds shut down intersections to perform doughnuts, burnouts and other stunts.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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The Barbican has a young person takeover on the 29th of March.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The appropriation, which came as part of the President’s domestic-spending bill, has kept ICE flush with cash during the shutdown.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
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Following the longest federal shutdown in the country’s history last year, Congress completed work on 11 of this year’s 12 appropriations bills.—
Kevin Freking,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In comparing department data from 2024 to 2025, Chamberlain said APD has recorded a 197% increase in fentanyl seizures, more than 600% increase in heroin seizures, a nearly 930% spike in the seizure of meth and an almost 80% increase in drug arrests.—
Kelly Werthmann,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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That specter continues to reverberate through that first Chiefs Super Bowl roster, from which 12 had died by their early 70s, suffering from such issues as cancer, heart problems, seizures and various forms of dementia.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Approved on Tuesday was the annexation of the land into Yorkville that will one day hold the Project Cardinal data centers, a rezoning of the area to a general manufacturing zoning district and utility, infrastructure and development agreements between the city and Pioneer Development.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry announced that a petition for annexation has been filed with local governments, including Madison and Mifflin townships, to move the project forward.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This is an ancient practice that continues into the Middle Ages called usurpation.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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The Court’s usurpation runs deeper than the invalidation of statutes with a liberal cast, though there has been plenty of that.—
Duncan Hosie,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preemption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preemption. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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