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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of usurp
Team Cherry The Pale King usurped the ruling deity, the Radiance, a god of light who shines in contrast to the Abyss, a primordial force of darkness that is represented by Void.
—
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Mamoru Hosoda’s anime riff on Hamlet gives us a princess of Denmark hell-bent on killing the uncle who usurped the crown from her beloved dad.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
But there are fears that the technology will usurp opportunities for people looking to break into the field.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Just as cable was usurped by fibre.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Mamoru Hosoda’s anime riff on Hamlet gives us a princess of Denmark hell-bent on killing the uncle who usurped the crown from her beloved dad.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
But there are fears that the technology will usurp opportunities for people looking to break into the field.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Just as cable was usurped by fibre.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurp
Verb
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The man reported to the Sheriff’s Office he had been scammed; the Sheriff’s Office then obtained a warrant and seized $14,120 from the ATM.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
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Failing to seize the narrative, the authorities shifted course and began erasing the record from public memory.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Exxon was the first American company to sue Cuban state companies, Cimex and Unión Cuba-Petróleo in 2019, for the exploitation of service stations confiscated by the Cuban government.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
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In this exclusive clip, the sisters encounter one of the magical objects their ancestor confiscated.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Of course, due to all of these developments, everyone finally knows that the man who kidnapped Sam and stole the dope is Robbie Pendergrast.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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But their double life gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret starts to steal their fans.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The ball popped up in the air and Bolton was there to grab it, except he was hit by teammate Drue Tranquill.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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Sasaki was the necessary answer on Monday night, coming in to secure the final out and avoid disaster as Freddie Freeman sprawled out to grab Tommy Edman’s final throw to first base.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The plan also states that Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza, something which has been speculated amid Israel’s offensive within the territory.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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Birch said the Tech Park, which now fills three buildings in the 400 block of Main Street, picked up another tenant in the past couple of weeks and the park is about 70% occupied.—
Sydney Sasser,
Arkansas Online,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His meteoric rise captures how Silicon Valley converts zeitgeist into capital—and how that, in turn, can be parlayed into influence.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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Adenstar was involved in the building work to convert Withdean Stadium — then an athletics track — into a stadium temporarily fit for fourth-tier football as the club aimed to return to Brighton.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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