as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
the thoughtless teenagers had preempted front-row seats that were reserved for the guests of honor
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preempt
Trump uses executive orders to preempt state laws.
—
Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Mississippi officials have argued that the state law is not preempted, while the RNC has urged the high court to strike down the Magnolia State’s law, along with similar ones in other states, as unlawful.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
The council instructed planners to release acreage currently earmarked for annexation back to Ada County, preempting future requests to incorporate the land into Boise for development.
—Mark Dee
january 27, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
The law preempts state litigation.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preempt
Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Mississippi officials have argued that the state law is not preempted, while the RNC has urged the high court to strike down the Magnolia State’s law, along with similar ones in other states, as unlawful.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
The council instructed planners to release acreage currently earmarked for annexation back to Ada County, preempting future requests to incorporate the land into Boise for development.
—Mark Dee
january 27, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
The law preempts state litigation.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempt
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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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
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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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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
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Similarly, Bad Bunny also stopped at a piraguas cart recreation and briefly grabbed a frozen dessert.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Expect mild redness and a sandpaper-like texture for several days; small sacrifices for a complexion that steals the spotlight.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Her worries grow when a group of badgers takes over the Rabbit School and steals the Egg.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Call 1-800-955-6886 to schedule an appointment to claim your prize.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
8 Feb. 2026
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Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Critics across the political spectrum have argued that repeatedly extending the emergency effectively converted a disaster-response reserve into a standing funding stream for immigration policy.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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When Health Net, a California nonprofit health maintenance organization, converted to a for-profit insurance company in 1992, regulators required that 80% of its equity be transferred to another nonprofit health foundation.—
Alnoor Ebrahim,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On one side stood a dozen or so cages occupied by snow-white rats.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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These are among the latest antisemitic conspiracy theories to be born from the Jeffrey Epstein files, following the document dump that has occupied online commentators for days.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempt. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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