usurped

verb

past tense of usurp
as in seized
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of usurped Chemsdine Talbi is a ‘big moments’ player but was usurped on the right side of midfield by full-back-by-trade Trai Hume toward the end of last season. — Luke Bosher, New York Times, 31 July 2026 When talkies usurped silent films, in the late 1920s, theaters scrambled to adapt to a new, squatter format. — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 The update indicated that Maersk is set to fall behind CMA CGM for second-largest container shipping capacity worldwide by July 2027, while Hapag-Lloyd could be usurped by Ocean Network Express (ONE) in February 2028. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 6 July 2026 The wedding broke the record for the largest single-location mass wedding at the time, until it was usurped in 2023, per Guinness World Records. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 The ‌Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in March upheld a complaint by Ukraine that Russia’s chess federation had usurped control of the game in areas of Ukraine captured by the Russian military. — CNN Money, 12 June 2026 Though its glam environs were eventually usurped by Hawaii’s many newer luxury resorts, an extensive renovation in 2008 gave the Mauna Kea an update without sacrificing its throwback charm. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 May 2026 That could impact the situation of Clarke, who outplayed Doughty and usurped his former position on the power play but logged fewer minutes at right defense just the same. — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 2 May 2026 Vodka had overtaken gin in popularity by 1967, but by 2000 had fully usurped it, like Claudius to King Hamlet—occupied its position, married its wife, and taken control of its lands. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurped
  1. seized
  2. confiscated
  3. grabbed
  4. stole
  5. occupied
  6. converted
  7. claimed
  8. appropriated
Verb
  • The national retailers who seized the opportunity, in turn, helped make the neighborhood still more attractive to affluent newcomers and investors.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
  • Tom Slingsby took the bull by the horns and seized an early lead to take a vital victory in Australia’s first heat.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • All data on the phone was gone, but authorities confiscated it anyway.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
  • Over the years, only four of those superyachts have been confiscated, three of which were sold at discounts.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • His teacher grabbed him and ran him bleeding down the halls, in circles, screaming through the school until help caught up.
    — Gabriel Winslow-Yost, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • Bryan Kohberger’s innocence claim and the smoky skies of Boise grabbed the attention the past two days.
    — Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Jonny DeLuca led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a one-out grounder to first by Ben Williamson and scored on a two-out single by Nick Fortes.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Back in the ring, Knight nearly stole a pin, but Jey hit another spear.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of stole
Verb
  • Set in occupied Poland in the middle of the Second World War, Holoubek’s tour de force is part suspenseful western, part gritty wartime noir.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 July 2026
  • Biotechnology has always occupied a unique position on Wall Street.
    — Steve Brozak, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • The question is whether that can be converted into payment utility without breaking the investment narrative that made Bitcoin valuable in the first place.
    — Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Or up to $35,000 in excess 529 plan funds can be converted over a few years into a Roth IRA on a tax-free basis.
    — Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Definition of converted
Verb
  • Unless Washington provides another naval destroyer, he will be forced to choose defense of the United States over Israel, the report claimed, as the Iran war has put a strain on Washington’s military arsenal.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Echoing Turkey’s justifications for its contentious S-400 acquisition completed the year before, which led a ban from the F-35 program and CAATSA sanctions slapped on Ankara, Iraqi officials claimed America offered no viable alternative.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of claimed
Verb
  • Money appropriated to help the IRS collect taxes already owed is routine described in terms of spending, waste, or bureaucratic excess.
    — Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • That’s different from what happened after past disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, when Congress appropriated large portions of the amounts that were requested.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of appropriated

Browse Nearby Words

usurpations
usurped
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Cite this Entry

“Usurped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurped. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of usurped for Spanish Speakers

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