as in to usurp
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peculate
Verb
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Look at how Taco Tuesday is circling the drain because the tariffs of President TrumpAlwaysChickensOut have usurped every other day of the week.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026 -
Callie is popular and vivacious, perpetually surrounded by admirers and various hangers-on (Audrey Grace Marshall’s Cara is hellbent on usurping Minnie’s place in Callie’s life, while her himbo-esque boyfriend Brad is given wonderful dimension through Beck Nolan’s sneaky-good performance).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In 2021, former Vatican Bank president Angelo Caloia was found guilty of money laundering and embezzling millions of euros in connection with his role at the institution.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
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She’s also accused of using money embezzled from the estate of a ward to pay for a two-year lease on a new SUV.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Iran seizes 2 ships on smuggling claims DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, state television reported, claiming the vessels had been smuggling fuel.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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Leavitt turns the tables on media outrage as FBI seizes Fulton election documents.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This generally means federal statutes trump and preempt application of state laws unless those state laws reflect powers constitutionally reserved to the states.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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This approach also preempts activist claims of stagnation, proving that the company is actively charting its own course.—
Sam Wolf,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tuesday's vote to approve the Flock contract also allocated that money paid by the dispensaries to the city's general fund, then appropriated the money to the Woodland Police Department budget.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
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The constitution was thus wrested from the Iranian people and appropriated by a ruling cadre that imposed its own interpretation of Islamic law upon them.—
Ramin Jahanbegloo,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And in a country where Bollywood stars and social media influencers heavily shape body image, doctors worry the drugs could be misused.—
Ayushi Shah,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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Specifically, how will clinical appropriateness be ensured, how will care coordination be maintained, how will misuse and fraud be prevented, and who ultimately has negotiating leverage in drug pricing?—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But all of those ideas for spending or tax rebates, again, all of those are congressional authority that the president is arrogating to himself—something else that would have startled the founders of the country all those 250 years ago.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
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Like Mao and Deng before him, Xi Jinping has arrogated to himself great power.—
JOSEPH TORIGIAN,
Foreign Affairs,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Authorities have also moved to suspend bank accounts, block SIM cards and confiscate the property of protesters' relatives or people who publicly express support for them, said Musa Barzin, an attorney with Dadban, citing reports from families.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Her employee badge, keys and computer were confiscated, according to the memo.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Peculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peculate. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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