usurped

Definition of usurpednext
past tense of usurp

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 usurped Vodka had overtaken gin in popularity by 1967, but by 2000 had fully usurped it, like Claudius to King Hamlet—occupied its position, married its wife, and taken control of its lands. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026 In other words, the apparatus that became the modern movie camera, up until digital technology usurped the role that film cameras played in capturing the first 100 years of filmmaking. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026 Most of those lands were eventually usurped for European farming and their inhabitants dispersed. Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026 This was of course usurped by my highest BPM recording of the day — a rate of 134 that coincided with my even more boisterous and jubilant reaction to 16-year-old Max Dowman’s 97th-minute game-sealing goal. Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026 The table by the front door was entirely usurped by leashes, harnesses, collars, assorted car seat belts and, of course, poop bags. Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026 But streaming has usurped DVR use as a way to watch TV after the fact and is now the path to big audiences for network shows. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026 The lawsuit claims the executive order is unlawful and unconstitutional, specifically that DeSantis has usurped the exclusive authority of the federal government to identify and designate terrorist organizations. ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026 Look at how Taco Tuesday is circling the drain because the tariffs of President TrumpAlwaysChickensOut have usurped every other day of the week. Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurped
Verb
  • Until this week, Newsom had held back from responding to Bianco’s controversial investigation into voter fraud, in which the Sheriff’s Department seized thousands of ballots in Riverside County.
    Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
  • An email from Chee’s attorney, Sam O’Keefe, sent in June of last year proposed that Devastating Pyrotechnics be allowed to remove 3,600 cases of fireworks seized in Southern California, according to Sacramento Bee reporting.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Kir’s mayoral tenure was during the aftermath of World War II and, like a lot of great things, the Kir cocktail was born out of necessity; most of the region’s red wines had been confiscated by the Germans.
    Jerry & Krista Slater, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
  • An Indiana Department of Transportation employee allegedly arrived later with the casino worker and confiscated the sign, saying that the union couldn’t be on a public right of way.
    Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The officer grabbed me and said 'you're arrested,' and just put me in handcuffs and drug and dragged me out.
    Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Much of the film feels like Cronin grabbed a bunch of different clothes off a rack at a clothing store only to end up wearing a bizarrely mismatched outfit that never really comes together.
    Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Jackson Merrill followed with a single and stole second before Bogaerts hit a two-run single to center.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
  • One laborer stole a parking placard and made a copy of it in order to park in a secure lot, the OIG found.
    Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But Israel's military told them explicitly not to, and Lebanese army vehicles were still blocking the path to some southern areas on Friday, the BBC reported, including the entrance to Khiam, which is still occupied by Israeli soldiers.
    CBS News, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Syria — which occupied a dismal third place in 2024 — has made the most dramatic exit, plunging all the way to 33rd following the fall of the Assad regime.
    Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The rocket will launch from a 532-foot (162-meter) long, 131-foot (40-meter) wide barge, the Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang, which has been specially converted for the purpose.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Orbán, replacing Hungary’s liberal constitutional system with a centralized executive model, converted Fidesz’s moral vision into the organizing principle of the state.
    Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • No group has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s abductions.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Read's attorneys claimed that O'Keefe was never hit by a vehicle, but was instead killed inside the home during a fight and then brought outside.
    Matt Schooley, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The administration has refused to spend money Congress has appropriated, like for foreign aid, and has spent money that Congress has not appropriated, like to pay DHS employees despite a shutdown.
    Sam Gringlas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The symbols were easily appropriated for marketing by roadside vendors but weren’t indicative of the separate and distinct Native American cultures in the area.
    Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Usurped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurped. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on usurped

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster