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
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Recent Examples of usurped
The news comes as the Cybertruck was recently usurped from its position as America's best-selling electric pickup truck in the first quarter of 2025.
—
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
Team Cherry The Pale King usurped the ruling deity, the Radiance, a god of light who shines in contrast to the Abyss, a primordial force of darkness that is represented by Void.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Mamoru Hosoda’s anime riff on Hamlet gives us a princess of Denmark hell-bent on killing the uncle who usurped the crown from her beloved dad.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
Resentment soon starts needling away at them as Theo goes over budget and Ivy feels her role as a mother has been usurped — the kids are now too health-conscious even to touch her desserts.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025
Just as cable was usurped by fibre.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
However, Matheus Nunes had usurped him at right-back towards the end of the season and he was left out of the FA Cup final squad.
—David Ornstein, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The fact that Colby usurped fourth-year pro Nick Zakelj was a bit surprising.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
The court of public opinion usurped the courts of law.
—Lynn Zovighian, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
Team Cherry The Pale King usurped the ruling deity, the Radiance, a god of light who shines in contrast to the Abyss, a primordial force of darkness that is represented by Void.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Mamoru Hosoda’s anime riff on Hamlet gives us a princess of Denmark hell-bent on killing the uncle who usurped the crown from her beloved dad.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
Resentment soon starts needling away at them as Theo goes over budget and Ivy feels her role as a mother has been usurped — the kids are now too health-conscious even to touch her desserts.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025
Just as cable was usurped by fibre.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
However, Matheus Nunes had usurped him at right-back towards the end of the season and he was left out of the FA Cup final squad.
—David Ornstein, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The fact that Colby usurped fourth-year pro Nick Zakelj was a bit surprising.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
The court of public opinion usurped the courts of law.
—Lynn Zovighian, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurped
Verb
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Of course, reporter and friend Erin Andrews seized the opportunity to ask about his recent engagement.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Allen punctuated the drive with a 6-yard touchdown scamper, as the Fishermen seized a 7-0 lead.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gordon allegedly brought two envelopes with 61 strips of Suboxone to an inmate at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility — which were then confiscated by officers and sent to a crime lab to be tested by a forensic analyst.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
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When the initial report was made, the school resource officer responded immediately and confiscated a knife from the student’s backpack, the school stated.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Agents grabbed one man who appeared to be charging up the driveway, pinned him to the ground and hustled him behind the gate with his hands behind his back.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
-
On the third play from scrimmage, freshman defensive back Kiingbaraka Kizzee grabbed a deflected pass for an interception and returned the ball 46 yards to the Sierra Canyon 5.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Twins then intentionally walked Kyle Manzardo to face Naylor, who, after Ramírez and Manzardo stole third and second base respectively, brought them both home.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
20 Sep. 2025
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Jubair and others allegedly stole 18 megabytes of data including thousands of names of Court employees, job titles, work locations, and usernames, and cellphone numbers.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh occupied a precarious position for the next three years, cut off from the world, until a final offensive in 2023 sent nearly all 100,000+ residents fleeing into Armenia, abandoning an area Armenians had occupied for several millennia.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Sep. 2025
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There were no injuries despite the building being occupied at the time, according to Gamble.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In 1990, it was converted to commercial use.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 Sep. 2025
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Untaxed amounts converted are taxable and generally reported on Form 8606.—
James Brewer,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The agency claimed hazardous working conditions led to serious lower back and other musculoskeletal disorders at Amazon facilities.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
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While central bank policy will have an important impact on the crypto markets, innovation in the space will be the driving force behind changes in asset prices, claimed Colkitt.—
Charles Lloyd Bovaird II,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Additionally, the legislature appropriated $107 million for site and road improvements and construction of aircraft hangars.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The White House has repeatedly withheld money previously appropriated by Congress, with minimal pushback from GOP lawmakers.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Usurped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurped. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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