as in seizing
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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Recent Examples of preempting
Congress this week released a bipartisan framework that would establish the first broad federal approach to AI regulation while temporarily preempting many state laws.
—
ABC News,
6 June 2026
The state passed a law last year preempting local governments from enacting or enforcing rules against presidential libraries.
—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
With the circumlunar flight of Artemis II, and the prospect of landing astronauts on the lunar surface within a few years, humanity is preempting an era where the imprint of visiting the Moon would be erased from living memory.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2026
Advocates want federal lawmakers to pass online safety laws around social media and AI tools without preempting states’ ability to regulate.
—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
But by preempting state standards entirely, Congress would effectively be making that decision itself.
—
John Cleveland,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Florida lawmakers have passed many bills preempting local laws in recent years but a ban on local governments banning of single-use plastic straws.
—
Ana Goñi-Lessan,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 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
In addition to the GAIN AI Act, lawmakers have also been divided over a push to include a provision preempting state AI laws in the NDAA.
—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
4 Dec. 2025
ABC News,
6 June 2026
The state passed a law last year preempting local governments from enacting or enforcing rules against presidential libraries.
—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
With the circumlunar flight of Artemis II, and the prospect of landing astronauts on the lunar surface within a few years, humanity is preempting an era where the imprint of visiting the Moon would be erased from living memory.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2026
Advocates want federal lawmakers to pass online safety laws around social media and AI tools without preempting states’ ability to regulate.
—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
But by preempting state standards entirely, Congress would effectively be making that decision itself.
—
John Cleveland,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Florida lawmakers have passed many bills preempting local laws in recent years but a ban on local governments banning of single-use plastic straws.
—
Ana Goñi-Lessan,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 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
In addition to the GAIN AI Act, lawmakers have also been divided over a push to include a provision preempting state AI laws in the NDAA.
—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempting
Verb
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Authorities served a search warrant at the rescue on May 1, seizing electronics, business records, financial records, firearms, and other evidence, according to the sheriff.
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For leadership teams worldwide, this requires striking a careful balance between responding to immediate disruption and seizing arising opportunities to bolster growth.
Verb
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Americans are grabbing their passports and fleeing the country in hopes of leaving the nation’s problems behind.
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Swanson argues those behind-the-scenes improvements have done more to modernize logistics than many of the industry’s headline-grabbing automation projects.
Verb
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The opposition’s narrative that Hollywood is usurping home rule is entirely backward.
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But even with the UFC’s challenges, no rival promotion has come close to usurping the sport’s power dynamic.
Verb
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In some videos, survivors accused soldiers of looting apartments and confiscating donated supplies—claims that remain difficult to independently verify but have fueled widespread outrage.
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Amid anecdotal reports that airport security services have been confiscating bottles of ranch dressing that sports tourists have tried to smuggle out of the country, Kraft Heinz came up with a TSA-friendly size of ranch dressing.
Verb
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The deadline to apply for a $50 million settlement from The Walt Disney Company, linked to a class action case claiming the company helped drive up subscription prices for streaming platforms, is approaching.
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Jackson beat out fellow finalists Roch Cholowsky (UCLA) and Landon Hairston (Arizona State), to become the second Georgia player to win the award in three seasons, with Charlie Condon claiming it in 2024.
Verb
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In December 1922, two Black men were abducted from the Pilot Point jail after being accused of stealing horses.
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Wolfson and her friends would try the stunts at home, stealing shopping carts to push each other into curbs.
Verb
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Egypt brought the calm, cool, collected factors to the shootout, converting on all four attempts from Mahmoud Saber, Rami Rabia, Mohamed Salah and Hossam Abdelmaguid.
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The key difference lies in the process for converting the fissile material to be bomb usable (chemical reprocessing in the case of plutonium, rather than enrichment, which can be done covertly and in small batches).
Verb
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In 2021, the Minnetonka shoe company apologized for culturally appropriating Native American culture, and committed to supporting the community.
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At first glance, the pairing might seem like an unconventional one, even though both artists are well known for appropriating others’ images.
Cite this Entry
“Preempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempting. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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