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
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Recent Examples of preempts
Under state law, the legislature currently preempts all authority of a home rule charter or city government to regulate firearms and ammunition.
—
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempts
Verb
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During a physical confrontation, Matheo forces Saskia to retreat, and Sylvie seizes the opportunity to grab Saskia’s gun.—
Time,
Time,
21 Aug. 2025
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The Commandant is a monstrously charismatic figure, the kind of character that seizes all available oxygen.—
Katie Kitamura
August 21,
Literary Hub,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As fans scramble to catch the ball, footage shows, the ball appears to land one row in front of a woman while a man runs over and grabs it.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
7 Sep. 2025
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With City’s left-back, Matheus Nunes, moving out of position to press Mainoo, Ugarte’s involvement grabs the attention of Ilkay Gundogan and Josko Gvardiol.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Voisin gives a cerebral performance of a man who occupies and contributes to a thrillingly tactile space while his antennae are attuned to another realm entirely.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
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In 2008, Russian troops invaded the country and got within striking distance of the capital; to this day, Russia occupies 20 percent of Georgia’s land.—
Lauren Grodstein,
The Atlantic,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to vindicating Harvard’s First Amendment claims, the judge held that the administration had violated Title VI, which prohibits discrimination in higher education based on race and national origin.—
Noah Feldman,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
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About 3,000 Peruvians live there yet Colombia also claims the island.—
John Otis,
NPR,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rachel McAdams is terrific as Margaret’s mom, balancing ambition and self-doubt, while Oscar-winner Kathy Bates steals the show (big surprise) as the fiercely loving grandmother.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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His latest is the story of a teenager who steals his driving instructor’s car in order to visit his girlfriend in college.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Braisted explained that the school district answers to the state, which appropriates most federal funding for MNPS.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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These words have different meanings in the context of AAVE, some say, and using them in a way that appropriates or stereotypes certain people groups strips away the importance of the original definitions.—
Mia Thurow,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.—
AudioFile Magazine
August 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Here, Jake Gyllenhaal assumes the iconic role of Dalton — originally played by Patrick Swayze in 1989 — a former UFC fighter who takes a bouncer gig at Florida's rowdy Double Deuce joint.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
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Despite having what one assumes is the pick of the litter with A-list celebrities willing to lend their insights on McCartney, Wings and the Beatles, Neville wisely chooses to keep the outside voices to a minimum.—
Caleb Hammond,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preempts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempts. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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