Thesaurus results for USURPS

usurps

verb

present tense third-person singular of usurp

as in seizes

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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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 usurps After witnessing Sinner miss 16 break points against the same opponent on Friday, Alcaraz would have been forgiven for worrying that something similar might happen to him — especially against arguably tennis’s greatest escape artist, at least until the Spaniard usurps him. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026 Jokic usurps Nurkic Jusuf Nurkic became Jokic’s first backup center in unceremonious fashion, getting benched by Michael Malone 25 games into his third season. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurps

Verb

Rhaenyra, queen of the Blacks, seizes the Iron Throne in King’s Landing with the support of Alicent, who has simply had enough of her unstable and terrible sons.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
Trump seizes America’s 250th-birthday spotlight, headlining the Great American State Fair, hosting a UFC bout at the White House and promoting new passports, $250 bills and coins bearing his image.

— Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

Definition of seizes

Verb

Unlike most other states, California has its own inspection-and-approval system for fireworks, and confiscates those failing standards.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 June 2026
The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.

— Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 26 Nov. 2025

Definition of confiscates

Verb

John Legend steals the show at the 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on July 9.

— People Staff, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Adebayo ranks second in franchise history in all-time points scored (10,391 points) and total rebounds grabbed (5,756 rebounds), third in all-time assists (2,276 assists) and steals (693), and fifth in all-time blocks (538 blocks).

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026

Definition of steals

Verb

While Trader Joe's continues to appeal to California grocery shoppers, the state is home to a whopping 205 locations, and counting, one Bay Area grocery store occupies a special place in the hearts of many.

— Roseann Cattani, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Israel’s military occupies the east and 2 million Palestinians are squeezed into the remaining half along Gaza’s western coast.

— Greg Dixon, NPR, 9 July 2026

Definition of occupies

Verb

The court held that federal pesticide law preempts a state failure-to-warn claim when the Environmental Protection Agency has not required a cancer warning on the product label.

— Alex Smolak, STAT, 27 June 2026
The Justice wrote in a 7-2 opinion written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act expressly preempts state law and Monsanto's failure to warn consumers about the dangers of glyphosate.

— Carrie Johnson, NPR, 25 June 2026

Definition of preempts

Verb

The bill appropriates $495 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

— Carrie Brandon Elliot, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The state appropriates within its budget to ensure bond holders know the state has the money, but the state hasn’t had to use that money because the admissions tax and tax district have funded the bond, Huston said.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026

Definition of appropriates

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usurping

usurps

utensil

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“Usurps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurps. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of usurps

verb

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