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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of usurp
He is now engaged in an ongoing insurrection by violating the Constitution, exceeding his lawful authorities, usurping Congress, and encouraging Republican states to manipulate voting districts and procedures.
—
Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Whatever preference the players have not to grow the schedule is usurped by their priority to grow their wallet.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
There’s also the defense to consider since Arraez will usurp Casey Schmitt as the team’s starting second baseman.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
And though preseason predictions pegged Marty Supreme as Gwyneth Paltrow’s big Oscar comeback, Odessa A’zion’s performance as a girlfriend with gumption has usurped the Goopster’s buzz.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Whatever preference the players have not to grow the schedule is usurped by their priority to grow their wallet.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
There’s also the defense to consider since Arraez will usurp Casey Schmitt as the team’s starting second baseman.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
And though preseason predictions pegged Marty Supreme as Gwyneth Paltrow’s big Oscar comeback, Odessa A’zion’s performance as a girlfriend with gumption has usurped the Goopster’s buzz.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurp
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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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
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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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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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
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
Cite this Entry
“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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