Thesaurus results for PREEMPTS

preempts

verb

present tense third-person singular of preempt

as in seizes

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

Relevance

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 preempts Some have ruled that federal law preempts or blocks states and counties from suing under state law. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 The court could also choose to make clear that state-law damages claims could go forward, or that federal law preempts the claims altogether. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 Two federal courts of appeals have now issued conflicting decisions on whether federal law preempts states from enforcing their sports betting laws against Kalshi and other prediction-market operators. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 Aug. 2026 No federal statute currently preempts state disclosure requirements, and firms advising advertisers have generally recommended continued compliance with state law while the question is litigated. — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 The court held that federal pesticide law preempts a state failure-to-warn claim when the Environmental Protection Agency has not required a cancer warning on the product label. — Alex Smolak, STAT, 27 June 2026 The Justice wrote in a 7-2 opinion written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act expressly preempts state law and Monsanto's failure to warn consumers about the dangers of glyphosate. — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 25 June 2026 While the county’s charter outlines that vacancies would be replaced by the Board of County Commissioners, Florida law preempts the charter. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026 Now, Supreme Court justices will weigh in on whether federal pesticide law preempts state-level claims. — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempts

Verb

That reporting revealed that the state frequently seizes money from legal settlements stemming from medical malpractice, police brutality, workplace injury and other wrongful death lawsuits.

— Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Wilson, meanwhile, seizes on the opening to play teacher’s pet.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of seizes

Verb

California courts have repeatedly refused to rewrite unconstitutional tax statutes on the grounds that this usurps the role of the Legislature or, in the case of an initiative, the people.

— Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026
After witnessing Sinner miss 16 break points against the same opponent on Friday, Alcaraz would have been forgiven for worrying that something similar might happen to him — especially against arguably tennis’s greatest escape artist, at least until the Spaniard usurps him.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Definition of usurps

Verb

Unlike most other states, California has its own inspection-and-approval system for fireworks, and confiscates those failing standards.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 June 2026
The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.

— Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 26 Nov. 2025

Definition of confiscates

Verb

The Renoir Museum occupies the final home of the leading French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who lived there until his death in 1919.

— SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Related Articles The 8,000-square-foot triplex occupies part of the American Thread Building at 260 West Broadway, a Renaissance Revival building completed in 1896.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of occupies

Verb

The Russian region of Sakhalin includes Sakhalin Island and the four southernmost islands of the Kuril chain, which Moscow controls and Tokyo claims.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
The Dateline Canada team, having reviewed police files on the case, claims to have uncovered an unreported police investigation.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of claims

Verb

But for all the resort’s creature comforts, nature still steals the show.

— Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
The usual answer to this has been to rely on nuclear power to make it through the night, but there is an alternative that steals a page from Earth's playbook.

— David Szondy October 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of steals

Verb

Tiki bars aren’t without criticism, having occasionally been attacked as escapist fantasy that appropriates Hawaiian or Polynesian iconography.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Summary The Caribbean is increasingly a global wellness hub, though Western influence often appropriates Afro-Indigenous practices.

— Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of appropriates

Browse Nearby Words

preemptions

preempts

preen

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Preempts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempts. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of preempts

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

zenith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes