1
as in to hijack
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
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2
as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
commandeered all of the equipment, as if the chem lab belonged solely to him
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of commandeer
The rebels commandeered police headquarters and a number of military airports, along with several neighboring villages.
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Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Late Wednesday, Texas authorities commandeered the public park over the objection of Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. as part of the state's effort to combat unlawful immigration.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
One classic scheme is commandeering a page to sell sunglasses or some other product — perhaps restaurant gift cards — that the hackers then promote to the page’s followers.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 20 Nov. 2024
The plea agreement came more than 20 years after the attacks, where militants commandeered commercial airliners and used them to strike the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commandeer 
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Late Wednesday, Texas authorities commandeered the public park over the objection of Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. as part of the state's effort to combat unlawful immigration.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
One classic scheme is commandeering a page to sell sunglasses or some other product — perhaps restaurant gift cards — that the hackers then promote to the page’s followers.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 20 Nov. 2024
The plea agreement came more than 20 years after the attacks, where militants commandeered commercial airliners and used them to strike the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
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King contends transportation revenue has been hijacked by other budget priorities.Carleen Johnson | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Dec. 2024
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The force had responded to an alert from police in Somalia’s semi-autonomous northeastern Puntland region that a Chinese ship off the coast had allegedly been hijacked, its statement said.Simone McCarthy, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Gi-hun chases the recruiter off and seizes the business card from the victim.Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
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Before Hamas seized full control of Gaza in 2007, Christians would often place a large Christmas tree near a major square in Gaza City.Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Shortly after releasing six tracks from the project, TMZ reported that his cell was raided and any equipment that could be used to record audio was confiscated.Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 13 Dec. 2024
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In 2009, the high-school student was taken from her home in Homs by Syrian security forces, and her computer, CDs and other possessions confiscated, according to Amnesty International.Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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What’s more, there is a recognition from some at the club that Lewis Miley needs to see more regular game time in the not-too-distant future, and the 18-year-old may usurp Longstaff in the selection hierarchy.Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
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The Rise of the Self-Coup (The Conversation) by John Joseph Chin and Joe Wright Self-coups, in which a sitting leader illegally usurps power from other parts of the government, are becoming more common.The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Davenports: More Than This by Krystal Marquis When The Davenports was released in 2023, the Davenport sisters stole our hearts.Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 18 Dec. 2024
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With 20 seconds left, Conard had the ball, but Maddy stole the ball, then hit two free throws to seal the win.Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Broncos converted only two of their nine third-down conversions that followed the 3-of-3 start.Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
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Two helipads with one converted into a basketball court, and a dedicated spa area with a beauty salon and gym.Jim Dobson, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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When the clock strikes midnight, grab one of these eight crackers and pop it to show your excitement for the start of 2025.Christopher Murray, Fox News, 26 Dec. 2024
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So grab another beer from your golf bag en route to the 19th hole and have a look at the Happy Gilmore 2 teaser below.Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Croatian-Italian-Slovenian coproduction takes the audience back to 1919, when the Italian nationalist poet, dandy and preacher of war Gabriele D’Annunzio occupied the city of Fiume.Leo Barraclough, Variety, 24 Dec. 2024
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In the film, Dylan, guitar in hand, comes upon Guthrie’s hospital room already occupied by Seeger.Brady Gerber, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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