usurpation

noun

Definition of usurpationnext
as in takeover
the unlawful taking or withholding of something from the rightful owner under a guise of authority the unexpected usurpation of power by the government resulted in the townspeople revolting

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 usurpation Cathy’s ingratiation with, and eventual usurpation of, brothel owner Faye (Martha Plimpton) gets an entire episode. — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026 Wasserman Schultz’s decision to run in the historically Black 20th Congressional District was selfish and opportunistic carpetbagging, a devastating usurpation of power from Black Floridians. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 The attempt of any of the parts to exercise it is usurpation. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Those laws sought to alter the reporting structure for the secretary or the directors in violation of Amendment 33 of the Arkansas Constitution, which protects the vested powers of constitutional boards, like the Board of Corrections, from usurpation by the governor, the General Assembly or both. — Arkansas Online, 18 May 2026 This is an ancient practice that continues into the Middle Ages called usurpation. — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026 The Court’s usurpation runs deeper than the invalidation of statutes with a liberal cast, though there has been plenty of that. — Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026 As Isaac told it, his kingdom’s history is rife with treachery, usurpation, and murder. — Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurpation
  1. takeover
  2. appropriation
  3. seizure
  4. annexation
Noun
  • Basically every month coming up, the brand will have a Colony Hotel suite takeover.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The locker real estate in the team’s second arena was something the proud parent didn’t even consider as part of his son’s Heat takeover.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of takeover
Noun
  • These early pieces synced with the bitter mindset of the Pictures Generation of the late 1970s and early ’80s, whose artists took up appropriation as a means of testing authorship and ownership.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • If voters approve the sales tax initiatives, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK would be required to approve specific appropriations during future public meetings.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of appropriation
Noun
  • Last week, federal agents in Miami announced the seizure of more than 600,000 gallons of biodiesel at Port Everglades and Port Houston heading to Cuba.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In the decade of violent conflicts that followed, attacks on border towns and seizures of American property by revolutionaries and bandits prompted the United States to send two military expeditions into Mexico.
    — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of seizure
Noun
  • Yolo County voters approved annexation into SMUD’s service territory but rejected a separate measure to switch electricity providers by just 10 votes.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Overall, the feasibility study said the annexation area represents a logical extension of the city’s existing urban development pattern.
    — Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of annexation

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Usurpation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurpation. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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