1
as in to hijack
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
commandeered all of the equipment, as if the chem lab belonged solely to him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 commandeer
After commandeering the offense with shot volume in recent games, Edwards played a real floor game to get his teammates involved.
—
Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Republicans describe it as a way for liberals in northern Virginia to commandeer congressional districts in the rest of the state.
—Meg Kinnard, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Sonoma State commandeered the spotlight, announcing the discontinuation of its sports department due to a hefty $24 million budget deficit.
—Ryan Curry, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026
Families and friends pile into cardboard watercraft of their own construction to commandeer through a course that, most of the time, ends with sinking vessels.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Republicans describe it as a way for liberals in northern Virginia to commandeer congressional districts in the rest of the state.
—Meg Kinnard, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Sonoma State commandeered the spotlight, announcing the discontinuation of its sports department due to a hefty $24 million budget deficit.
—Ryan Curry, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026
Families and friends pile into cardboard watercraft of their own construction to commandeer through a course that, most of the time, ends with sinking vessels.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
-
However, a hacker hijacked the account of Axios' lead developer and quietly introduced two malicious software versions on Monday night, according to cybersecurity vendor StepSecurity.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In 1976, with dictator Idi Amin aggressively opposing Israel, four terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 on its way from Tel Aviv to France.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Police said that officers seized a quantity of marijuana and a gun that was later found to have been stolen.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
How Jewish villas in the posh Grunewald area were bought up or seized by Nazi bigshots, but now belong to Russian oligarchs.—
John Powers,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Borzou Arjmand, an Iranian actor living in California, found out from news reports that his assets in Iran had been confiscated.—
Amir Hussein Radjy,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The sisters’ mother, Vesta Louis, told Politico this week that federal investigators raided both of their homes in simultaneous operations on March 23, confiscating their cellphones and other electronics.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s come just as the Edmonton Oilers have ripped off a season-best five straight victories to usurp the Ducks’ position atop the Pacific.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
-
One of the things that's gone really wrong in America is this gas station/convenience store/fast food restaurant that is usurping small town America.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As part of that rally, James Outman entered for Buxton off the bench and immediately stole a base, which manager Derek Shelton made a point to mention.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Police said suspects entered the building and stole multiple bottles of alcohol and money before fleeing.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pritchard dissected Milwaukee’s defense at all three levels during that flurry, converting two layups, two 3-pointers and one nine-foot fadeaway.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Time and again, the Venezuelan opposition has converted popular fury into political momentum, only to watch Chavismo regroup, survive, and consolidate.—
Boris Muñoz,
Time,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Making his fifth start of the season in Queta’s absence, the backup center tallied 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Miami is now 10-2 this season when grabbing more than 15 offensive rebounds.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But all of the 222 guest rooms, which occupy the 23rd through the 30th floors of the towers, offer stellar, unimpeded sight lines.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The property occupies a lot of 12,376 square feet.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
