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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
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Authorities also seized multiple weapons, ammunition and explosive devices, the military said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Some vessels with links to Iran made attempts to move through the strait, but others are staying away after Iran attacked three ships with gunfire earlier this week and seized two more.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cemetery officials confiscated the notes and film of the two reporters, saying reporters needed permission to visit the cemetery.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Israeli police have for years confiscated Palestinian flags from Palestinians, accusing them of disturbing the peace.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Stephens and her daughter had gone to bed when Knight grabbed knives from the kitchen, walked into their bedroom and attacked the woman as her daughter lay next to her.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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The witness said a woman believed to be a store employee grabbed at a backpack carried by one of the men, prompting that man to throw a punch at her.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The guava version is a classic, but the chocolate croissant stole the show.—
Tristan Graziano,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
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Authorities announced charges against another man from whom the shooter allegedly stole the gun used to carry out the shooting, and that man was legally banned from possessing guns because of a past felony.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And until now, vertebrate predators such as large marine reptiles, sharks and fishes were thought to have commanded the seas, Iba said, but the fossils hint that octopuses may also have occupied the top of the food web.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
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Dozens of villages and towns in Lebanon’s south remain occupied by Israeli troops.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hungarians demonstrated that a moment of divisiveness can be converted into a moment of collective agency.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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The oldest bookstore on our list, Baldwin’s Book Barn in western Pennsylvania, was built in 1822 as a farmhouse before William and Lilla Baldwin converted it into the permanent home of their then-roaming bookselling business in 1946.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In that litigation, which has to do with the withholding of records in the case, a deputy city attorney and a San Diego police captain claimed on March 16 that the incident was still under review by the district attorney’s office for potential prosecution of the involved officers.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Andrews claimed that the financier was abusive.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Usurped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurped. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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