1
as in hijacks
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in seizes
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 commandeers
The service Bjorn commandeers a small team, and often doubles up as bartender, concierge, and sauna turn-oner.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
In the middle of the stuffy reception, Jenny commandeers the A/V system, blasting punk rock while a squad of models, clad in her early-aughts emo designs, climb on tables.
—Matthew Huff, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.
—Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
In the middle of the stuffy reception, Jenny commandeers the A/V system, blasting punk rock while a squad of models, clad in her early-aughts emo designs, climb on tables.
—Matthew Huff, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.
—Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeers
Verb
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By feeding a stodgy institutional figure like Powell into the AI-meme deluge, the internet hijacks the Federal Reserve’s image and accelerates it past the point of professional control.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 Jan. 2026
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All that progress rolls backward if males can take spots on both men’s and women’s teams; this torpedoes Title IX and hijacks women’s sports.—
Alanna Smith,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Earnest and intersectional, the spoken word artist’s debut solo album seizes upon the power of club music to preach about gender equality, personal transformation, and communal uplift.—
Jesse Dorris,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
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So, when Ozzie (Kyle Bary), a former child star, finds himself in a heap of trouble, Jax seizes the opportunity to spice up her daily routine.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Milwaukee Marshall High School confiscates a student’s phone until the end of the day for a first offense, requires a parent pickup after a second offense and issues an automatic suspension for repeat violations.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Tomislav Ivišić grabs a rebound against Houston in last weekend's Sweet 16.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
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After lowering the helicopter to the water's surface, a flight crew member grabs the dog and hauls the pet aboard.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Deed theft is essentially when someone steals a house, often forging the paperwork, and data obtained by CBS News New York shows a 240% increase in complaints to the New York Attorney General's Office from 2023 to 2025.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The team leader also has a lot of support from sophomore forward Sarah Strong, who leads UConn in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The surreptitious and tiny Spy Bar, which occupies a former interrogation room in the basement, is a good bookend to an evening, with red-velvet banquettes, and half a DB5 Bond car (as seen in No Time to Die) mounted on the wall.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
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The Halsted Street location occupies the former site of Pizza Capri, which closed in May of last year after 30 years in business.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeers. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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