as in seizing
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 usurping
He has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the sheriff and of usurping her authority, leading the county Board of Supervisors to eliminate his position in November 2024.
—
Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Besides, usurping Jinkx Monsoon for Miss Piggy would fan the ferocious flames of backstage drama and turmoil (hmmm … Smash season-three idea).
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Can a President break that compact, without consequence, usurping police powers that were never his to begin with?
—Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately, mid-rehearsal, their mother, Rose (an absolutely magnificent McDonald), comes thundering onto the stage, usurping Jocko’s leadership and sucking up all of the air into the room.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
For instance, one of his first actions was to fund the Al-Jazeera Arabic satellite television station, allowing Qatar to set the agenda on TV screens from Casablanca to Cairo, usurping the role once played by state information ministries.
—Allen Fromherz / Made By History, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024
Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Besides, usurping Jinkx Monsoon for Miss Piggy would fan the ferocious flames of backstage drama and turmoil (hmmm … Smash season-three idea).
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Can a President break that compact, without consequence, usurping police powers that were never his to begin with?
—Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately, mid-rehearsal, their mother, Rose (an absolutely magnificent McDonald), comes thundering onto the stage, usurping Jocko’s leadership and sucking up all of the air into the room.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
For instance, one of his first actions was to fund the Al-Jazeera Arabic satellite television station, allowing Qatar to set the agenda on TV screens from Casablanca to Cairo, usurping the role once played by state information ministries.
—Allen Fromherz / Made By History, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurping
Verb
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Metropolitan Police officers are also said to have raided Clarke’s home, seizing items including laptops and documents.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
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Governments worldwide are already seizing the opportunity to attract skilled workers to their countries.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What he’s actually done is fake his death to create a template for a new life by stealing $90 million from a client of his crooked law firm.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
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One man was arrested and accused of stealing a golf cart.—
Bob Harkins,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Witnesses claimed that after France’s embarrassing loss to Haiti, the French government retaliated by confiscating Ferdinand’s belongings and abandoning the child to an orphanage.—
Marlene L. Daut
September 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
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Even confiscating half would barely register against a $6 trillion federal budget.—
Sally Pipes,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Securing the Shield ensures the top seed for Philly and home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs for a team that has quietly gone about a consistent season without grabbing much in the way of attention.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Without strangers lunging at her and grabbing her forearm.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Blair would bring years of political and negotiating experience to the task after occupying 10 Downing Street for a decade and later acting as an international envoy in the Middle East.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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The 431-part movement is, of course, the star of the new trio, occupying pride of place at 6 o’clock underneath three counters.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Scammers will call or text consumers claiming to be a legitimate institution, such as a bank or a government institution.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
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Treat any message claiming your Meta account or other services will be disabled within days with caution.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Cincinnati got the ball first to start the night and marched 62 yards over 12 plays, picking up four first downs and converting a pair of third downs before settling for a field goal.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
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Duggan and his co-owner, sister Elena Duggan, spent the past several years converting that former eatery into a stylish 9,000-square-foot space fronted by the iconic yellow-gold Original Joe’s sign.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Usurping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurping. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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