Thesaurus results for USURP

usurp

verb

yu̇-ˈsərp

Definition of usurp

as in to seize

to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right the mayor usurped the school board's authority when he fired the principal

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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 usurp Howie Roseman acquired Bigsby after Week 1, and Bigsby eventually usurped Shipley as Barkley’s top backup. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 In this way, the tech is being used to elevate human intelligence, rather than usurping it. — William Jones, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 When Shuja was usurped in Afghanistan by a rival brother, Shuja’s wife, Wa’fa Begum, fled to Lahore for safety. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026 Her centuries old father Doro (who also appears in Wild Seed), is an ever present threat, concerned that his ambitious daughter will usurp his power. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for usurp

Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurp

Verb

But the truth of it is that Sharaa forced his hand by seizing swathes of the SDF’s territory in a lightning offensive in January.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
Who knows more of the injustice of the world than the girl who saw her town seized by a white-supremacist coup, the Wilmington massacre, in 1898?

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of seize

Verb

Additional devices were reportedly confiscated at James' home, officials said.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Lebanese soldiers deployed there are tasked with preventing armed non-state actors, like Hezbollah, from coming in; confiscating any weapons and remnants of war; and restoring state authority.

— Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of confiscate

Verb

Elsewhere, stoles stole the show, particular those draped languidly over the shoulder or fashioned as cummerbunds.

— Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
On multiple occasions, law enforcement officers have used Flock footage to identify and ultimately arrest people accused of stealing from Ulta Beauty stores.

— Kara McGrath, Allure, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of steal

Verb

Running back If you’re not used to seeing the running back position here, grab a ticket and join the line.

— Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Just like the rest of us that day, most of the dead were just going about such ordinary tasks as showing up for work, grabbing a cup of coffee and traveling on a commercial jetliner, or just trying to lend a hand to people in trouble.

— Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of grab

Verb

The most reliable tactic is to occupy a choke point where doves enter a field in the morning and in the evening.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Civilian specialists The 583rd Missile Maintenance Squadron occupies an unusual position within the Air Force’s nuclear mission.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of occupy

Verb

But in 1816 the New Hampshire legislature passed a law aimed at converting it into a state-run university.

— Jacob Weisberg, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
Many systems still need electronic circuits to control the optical components, convert electrical signals into optical ones, and convert them back again.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of convert

Browse Nearby Words

usuals

usurp

usurpation

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“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of usurp

verb

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