as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
the mayor usurped the school board's authority when he fired the principal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of usurp
Therefore, the organization argued, the FCC was violating the constitution by usurping congress's power to tax.
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Npr Washington Desk, NPR, 27 June 2025
Trump has already tried to use three pretexts to usurp power — terrorism, national emergency, and war itself — to justify his mass deportations, universal tariffs, and consolidations of power.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
The key is balance; usurping Guimaraes, Tonali and Joelinton is not going to be easy, but Miley has a great platform to take the next step in his career, steadily.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
She’s also amassed more than $9 million worth of real estate held in various trusts, owns multiple trademarks related to Belichick’s work, and may or may have usurped whatever autonomy Belichick once enjoyed.
—Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Npr Washington Desk, NPR, 27 June 2025
Trump has already tried to use three pretexts to usurp power — terrorism, national emergency, and war itself — to justify his mass deportations, universal tariffs, and consolidations of power.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
The key is balance; usurping Guimaraes, Tonali and Joelinton is not going to be easy, but Miley has a great platform to take the next step in his career, steadily.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
She’s also amassed more than $9 million worth of real estate held in various trusts, owns multiple trademarks related to Belichick’s work, and may or may have usurped whatever autonomy Belichick once enjoyed.
—Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurp
Verb
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The agency seized another $17,000 from Dreamers Arcade, another casino tied to the case against Lopez and his co-defendants.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Aug. 2025
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Leading a high-spending redistricting campaign that, if successful, helps Democrats seize the House would seemingly make Newsom a hero among the party faithful across the country.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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From 2022 through 2024, law enforcement officials in California confiscated 139,017 guns used in crimes with identifiable serial numbers, according to the DOJ’s crime guns report.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
12 July 2025
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No charges have been pressed against Stone, but her family said her phone was confiscated.—
Joey Safchik,
NBC news,
10 July 2025
Verb
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According to police, West stole from his ex-girlfriend Nancy Jones.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
The Tennessean,
28 July 2025
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The university's Davidge Hall once housed a small grayscale portrait of its namesake, dating to the 1800s, but that painting was stolen in the 1990s.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Leave your troubles behind and grab a lime, because Thursday is National Tequila Day.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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Concerned, the roommates grabbed golf clubs from one of the first-floor bedrooms and checked the house for a possible intruder.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The site was previously occupied by one of McDonald’s largest locations.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
23 July 2025
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The reality is only slightly more mundane: It was previously occupied by the manager of a pop superstar and a DJ/producer who recently closed a mid-eight-figure deal for his music catalog and label.—
Todd Longwell,
Variety,
23 July 2025
Verb
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As Thom Harris observed on The Athletic recently, many of those 13 goals came from close range — converting cutbacks, often from the right, after making runs through the middle.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
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Mitochondria, often referred to as the powerhouse of the cell, convert food into energy that the cell can use.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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