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
Relevance
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
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
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurps
Verb
-
Dolores notices they are gone and begins to lash out, and Abby seizes an opportunity to knock Dolores out.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Continue reading … CRYPTO CRACKDOWN – DOJ seizes record $15 billion in Bitcoin in largest US forfeiture ever.—
,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After Grace quotes Zooey Deschanel's character, Thames grabs her face and kisses her out of the frame.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Another strong Lions performance could mark a turning point this season where Detroit grabs control of the division and doesn't look back.—
Nick Meyer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Helm topples trees, uproots crops, overturns feed stacks, steals loose blankets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The bounty hunter kills some random dudes who are dumb enough to cross him and steals a Falka doll from some little girls who have adopted the Rats as folk heroes.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Traditional philanthropy, once external to profit structures, now occupies the core of Magnolia Pearl’s identity.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Its Amsterdam location, for example, opened this year, occupies the city’s former Palace of Justice, originally built in 1665.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preempts states from enacting laws that conflict with ERISA on regulated benefit plans.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Story editing is a form of self-talk that preempts your under-estimator from seizing control with its bludgeoning feedback.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Typically, Congress passes a budget that appropriates money for the next fiscal year to federal agencies.—
Amy Maxmen,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Most legal scholars interpret this to mean that the president’s duty is to spend the money Congress appropriates, and that the president does not have the power to withhold funds.—
Andy Kroll,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Usurps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurps. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share