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
But those who believe crypto IPOs will usurp altcoin projects are only seeing half of the picture.
—
Charles Wayn, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The court of public opinion usurped the courts of law.
—Lynn Zovighian, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
President Donald Trump on Friday called for the Federal Reserve’s board of governors to usurp the power of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, criticizing the head of the U.S. central bank for not cutting short-term interest rates.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2025
The combination of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would usurp the current market share leader, BNSF.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Charles Wayn, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The court of public opinion usurped the courts of law.
—Lynn Zovighian, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
President Donald Trump on Friday called for the Federal Reserve’s board of governors to usurp the power of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, criticizing the head of the U.S. central bank for not cutting short-term interest rates.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2025
The combination of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would usurp the current market share leader, BNSF.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurp
Verb
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To offer a personal example, early in my career at a Hollywood studio, physical presence in a collaborative office was a valuable part of my learning — and gave me opportunities to seize unspoken opportunities.—
Melody Brue,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Corporate executives in the technology sector, eager to curry favor, seized on the talking point.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Desert Diamond Arena may confiscate items that could cause danger or disruption or are in breach of building policies.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Police confiscated his firearm, interviewed him, and—on the advice of the Harris County District Attorney's Office—released him without a charge.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 July 2025
Verb
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The gaming community was hit with another delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 earlier this year and that means those who were hoping to spend the fall months stealing cars and evading the police are needing something to fill that void.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The Thunder star and Converse stole the show that weekend, making their presence felt all over the city with signage and an epic pop-up that gave fans a first look at the SHAI 001 in person.—
Nick Crain,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Four prisoners had to take turns using a bunk bed just to grab a few hours of sleep.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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But Sunday, unfortunately for him, slipped away quickly as World No. 1 grabbed his fifth season title.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the meantime, the Giants went with their Opening Day second baseman, Tyler Fitzgerald, while Christian Koss occupied third base on the second day of Matt Chapman’s absence with inflammation in his right hand.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
16 Aug. 2025
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The eight inaugural Chicago-area Jack in the Boxes are all corporate owned and occupy former Arby’s restaurants acquired in one fell swoop from a large franchise operator to get the brand reestablished quickly in the market, Ingram said.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The bankruptcy court has scheduled an Aug. 19 hearing in the matter to determine whether to convert the case to Chapter 7 as PBR requests, dismiss it as requested by TBN (Merit Street’s former majority shareholder) or approve debtor-in-possession financing as Merit Street requests.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
8 Aug. 2025
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Part of the draw of rezoning Midtown South was the prospect of converting commercial buildings that were no longer appropriate or in use into housing, Breen said.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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