as in seized
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
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Recent Examples of usurped
That could impact the situation of Clarke, who outplayed Doughty and usurped his former position on the power play but logged fewer minutes at right defense just the same.
—
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 2 May 2026
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
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 2 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurped
Verb
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The tension spilled into election issues, including accusations that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized ballots in a voter‑fraud investigation, now at the center of a legal fight with the state attorney general.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Photograph courtesy Jennifer Hulse Israel seized control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank during the Six-Day War, in 1967.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Detectives confiscated over $10,000 cash, along with narcotics and a firearm, after serving a search warrant Thursday in Westland, Michigan.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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In 1782, Aspden learned that all of his property had been confiscated and would be sold to aid the patriots in the American Revolution.—
Kimberly Nath,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Becerra blunder The first ad that grabbed my attention was a quick-turn by San José Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan (still stuck in single-digit polling numbers), who jumped on Xavier Becerra’s first major mess-up.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Unidentified trespassers stole the control stick out of an R train while it was parked underground in southern Brooklyn back in December — along a stretch of storage track popular with joyriders and graffiti artists.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
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Bregman singled and stole second, and Ian Happ challenged a full-count strike-3 call that was overturned to a walk.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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At least 27 homes were so severely damaged that they could not be safely occupied along the coast, according to the California Coastal Commission.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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The drive-thru coffee house will take over the property previously occupied by TGI Fridays, which closed five years ago, said petitioner James Hus of the DVG Team.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In the rear of the cineplex structure— opened in 2000 and also operated under such brands as Crown and Bow Tie — space would be converted to self-storage.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
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The push comes at a moment when Indonesia’s film industry is generating outstanding local box office but hasn’t yet converted that momentum into consistent international breakthrough.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Vegas claimed its fifth regular-season Pacific Division title this year and is now four wins from a third Western Conference championship banner.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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Bianco launched a voter‑fraud investigation after a local group claimed the county counted roughly 46,000 more ballots than were received, a claim election officials rejected.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The funds would be pulled from money that Congress appropriated for health programs tackling malaria, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, nutrition, global health security, HIV/AIDS and more, two federal health policy experts told CNN.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
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Cohen is careful not to let enthusiasm for the science bleed into endorsement of the wellness industry that has appropriated it.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Usurped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurped. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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