usurp

verb

yu̇-ˈsərp How to pronounce usurp (audio)
Definition of usurpnext
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

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 Jason Speaking of football-loving families, the Kelces seem to have usurped the Mannings for the sport’s first family. — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026 The 6-foot-6, 308-pounder was at Wisconsin from 2020-24 before finishing at Illinois last season and entering the 49ers’ defensive-line rotation this season, perhaps even usurping Alfred Collins in the starting lineup next to Osa Odighizuwa. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2026 After Davis’ single appearance, Anne Baxter would step in as the matriarch of the series (as a new character), an ironic echo of Baxter’s Eve ambitiously attempting to usurp Davis’ Margo in the classic All About Eve. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026 Last year, netizens coined a new term to reflect our growing disdain for AI bots slowly usurping our human agency. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for usurp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurp
  1. seize
  2. confiscate
  3. steal
  4. grab
  5. occupy
  6. convert
Verb
  • Oviedo also alleged that bundles of cash seized from an ambulance leaving Mariaca’s home in the city of Santa Cruz early Thursday were proceeds of extortion targeting people who sought help from prosecutors.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Azerbaijan has denied these allegations, but the country is a major oil supplier to Israel, which might be enough to push Tehran to try to seize Nakhichevan, an Azerbaijani exclave on the Iranian border.
    — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • York had a cellphone returned to him, but the $160 that police confiscated from him was given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement.
    — Erick Mendoza, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • York was arrested after responding to an online prostitution by the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which confiscated his cellphone and $160 in cash.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscate
Verb
  • And the other film is about a Jordanian farmer and the water loss in Jordan, because there’s a whole political situation going on with water being stolen by Israel.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, on suspicion of strangling Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in the island's capital city, Naha, early Saturday and stealing her wallet and backpack.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • Two teenage suspects, ages 14 and 15, allegedly grabbed a necklace from the victim’s neck after walking by them, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Or, just head down to one of the bars by the pool or grab a fresh juice.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • Expanding the Navy’s missile stockpile SM-6 occupies a key role in the Navy’s layered approach to air and missile defense.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The merchandising was reconsidered as well, with more open space, redesigned display cases and seating replacing cases that previously occupied the front windows.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of occupy
Verb
  • The system generates electrical power and converts it into a highly concentrated beam.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The proposition is to connect China’s factories with its creator economy; Black Lake’s agents bridge the gap by converting ideas into designs, a 3D simulation, and industrial data sent to a factory.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of convert

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usurp
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Cite this Entry

“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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