1
as in hijacked
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in seized
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
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Recent Examples of commandeered
Schwarzenegger commandeered the stage with then-wife Maria Shriver to thank the crowds for the stellar turnout.
—
René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
Not even the closets are safe from being commandeered as exhibit space for the Chicago Collective.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
With the help of Obruchev, Safin plans to mass-produce Heracles on an island called the Poison Garden, which was once owned by his family but commandeered by SPECTRE after their murder.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The washer and dryer were commandeered as beer coolers and Melanie’s special mix tape was blasting over the house stereo.
—Dustin Timbrook, AJC.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Not to mention, Pinterest predicts cool blue will be the new millennial pink (Sabrina Carpenter’s already commandeered the shade on and off stage, with Hailey Bieber closely following in some of her streetwear looks).
—Irene Richardson, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
In 2024, the gang commandeered several apartment buildings in Aurora, making national headlines as violent criminals held the complexes for ransom.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the Potomac franchise does not exist in reality but instead is a mildly dystopian parallel universe commandeered by the chaotic whims of Big Sister General Gizelle Bryant; therefore, Angel being a general pill doesn’t suffice as a legitimate reason to take issue with her.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Inside, the main floor has been commandeered by a mishmash of cash-only Asian food stalls, which gives it the feel of a makeshift street market.
—Hazlitt, 10 Dec. 2025
René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
Not even the closets are safe from being commandeered as exhibit space for the Chicago Collective.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
With the help of Obruchev, Safin plans to mass-produce Heracles on an island called the Poison Garden, which was once owned by his family but commandeered by SPECTRE after their murder.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The washer and dryer were commandeered as beer coolers and Melanie’s special mix tape was blasting over the house stereo.
—Dustin Timbrook, AJC.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Not to mention, Pinterest predicts cool blue will be the new millennial pink (Sabrina Carpenter’s already commandeered the shade on and off stage, with Hailey Bieber closely following in some of her streetwear looks).
—Irene Richardson, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
In 2024, the gang commandeered several apartment buildings in Aurora, making national headlines as violent criminals held the complexes for ransom.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the Potomac franchise does not exist in reality but instead is a mildly dystopian parallel universe commandeered by the chaotic whims of Big Sister General Gizelle Bryant; therefore, Angel being a general pill doesn’t suffice as a legitimate reason to take issue with her.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Inside, the main floor has been commandeered by a mishmash of cash-only Asian food stalls, which gives it the feel of a makeshift street market.
—Hazlitt, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeered
Verb
-
Love tried to explain the feeling, but Bryant hijacked his moment once again.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Officers Rodolfo Mirabal, Richard Santiesteban, and Leslie Lee are facing charges in connection with the December 5, 2019 incident, which began after two assailants hijacked a UPS truck during a Coral Gables jewelry heist.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Authorities have seized more than €957,000 in cash, including €67,000 in foreign currency.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Feb. 2026
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While Japan has seized fishing vessels from South Korea and Taiwan in recent years, the incident is the first involving a vessel from China since 2022 and comes against the backdrop of a major diplomatic dispute between the countries.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lamia Rubia, 27, said all of her belongings were searched, and many items were confiscated.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The final straw came about two weeks ago, when the bar's doorman confiscated a fake ID featuring the face of Benjamin Franklin — complete with a fictional home address on Market Street.—
Ross DiMattei,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nuggets’ chess moves with Tyson, Jones — B Hunter Tyson was a Summer League legend, but shipping him out to get Spencer Jones’ contract converted was a no-brainer.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
7 Feb. 2026
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At one point, Edmonds converted a critical three-point play to cut Kansas State’s lead to five with less than 10 minutes to go.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whatever preference the players have not to grow the schedule is usurped by their priority to grow their wallet.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
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And though preseason predictions pegged Marty Supreme as Gwyneth Paltrow’s big Oscar comeback, Odessa A’zion’s performance as a girlfriend with gumption has usurped the Goopster’s buzz.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Doncic turned to run back up the court and grabbed the back of his left leg.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Jarrett Allen scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Dennis Schroder added 11 points in his Cavaliers debut and Keon Ellis had 6 points in his first game with the Cavaliers, who won for the seventh time in eight games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Puerto Rico was first colonized by the Spanish from 1493 until 1898, the year that the United States occupied the country as part of the Spanish-American War.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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Prop 19, passed in 2020, limited the transfer of a lower tax base only to homes that a child or heir actually occupied, and excluded rental homes.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thieves stole $40,000 worth of handmade puppets, props and merchandise from outside a Hollywood Hills home.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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On March 18, 1990, two men posing as police officers stole 13 artworks valued at over $500 million from the museum in what is considered the largest unsolved art heist in modern history.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeered. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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