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 boost would be short-lived, as the Shamrocks seized the momentum back with a strong defensive response and took possession over at the Spartans’ 29-yard line.—
Erik Anderson,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
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In September, the DEA in Atlanta seized over 1,000 pounds of meth in an operation targeting the CJNG.—
Asher Redd,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once confiscated, the plants spend the rest of their lives at the botanical garden, where their seeds can be banked for future conservation projects.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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During the latest protests in Indonesia, authorities confiscated banners and labeled them treasonous.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The play that drew Reeve’s ire was Alyssa Thomas stealing the ball from Napheesa Collier near the 3-point line and going toward the other end of the court for the game-sealing layup.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Thankfully, my passport wasn’t stolen, nor was it stranded somewhere in the middle of the rainforest (my worst fear at the time).—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Today is the last day to grab a lifetime license for Windows 11 Pro for only $13 (reg.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
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As the clock expired on a win Brian Daboll desperately needed, the New York Giants coach grabbed rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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William Byron, Chase Briscoe, and Joey Logano occupy the sixth, seventh, and eighth places in the same order.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Blair would bring years of political and negotiating experience to the task after occupying 10 Downing Street for a decade and later acting as an international envoy in the Middle East.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the electrified city of the future, parking spaces could be converted into lots for ridesharing and robotaxis, supercharging stations and dedicated bike lanes, said Kara Kockelman, professor of transportation engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Taiwan converts time into a weapon by turning drones into throughput problems, from design to fab to field to refresh.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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