1
as in to hijack
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples 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 commandeer
The demonstrators largely blocked all traffic on the highway between Mexico City and Acapulco for two days, battled security forces and commandeered a police armored truck and used it to ram down the gates of the state legislature building.
—
Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 8 Oct. 2024
View 3 Images By commandeering smart thermostats and water heaters and sipping power from in-home EV chargers, virtual power plants are being formed across the country.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
The company has since commandeered the AI boom, most famously through the release of ChatGPT.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Rita Ora once again returns as co-host alongside Seacrest, who’s marking his 20th year commandeering the holiday staple.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commandeer 
Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 8 Oct. 2024
View 3 Images By commandeering smart thermostats and water heaters and sipping power from in-home EV chargers, virtual power plants are being formed across the country.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
The company has since commandeered the AI boom, most famously through the release of ChatGPT.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Rita Ora once again returns as co-host alongside Seacrest, who’s marking his 20th year commandeering the holiday staple.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
-
What comes across with painful truthfulness is the way history can hijack hopes.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
-
This app hijacks your PC’s resources, like the CPU and GPU, which slows down its performance significantly.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Yemen's Houthi rebels announced on Wednesday the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a commercial vessel seized in November 2023 during their campaign in the Red Sea.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
School employees eventually confiscated it, finding the tan and black semi-automatic handgun inside with 30 rounds of ammunition and an attached laser pointer, charges allege.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2025
-
Corey then allegedly confiscated the women’s phones, shot the gun out the window, and then pointed the gold gun at the two ladies.—
Marc Griffin,
VIBE.com,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Anthony held the No. 1 spot in Baseball America's previous rankings but was usurped by Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, who recently signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.—
John Yoo and John Shu,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
-
By using these authorities to address a longstanding policy problem, Trump is usurping the role that the Constitution assigns to Congress.—
Elizabeth Goitein,
TIME,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Gillespie stole the ball from Berry, but Reese promptly gave the ball away with 0.7 seconds left on the clock.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Jan. 2025
-
The pursuit of Richard started on Interstate 40 that morning, and the bus was stolen from Little Rock the night before, the release states.—
Grant Lancaster,
arkansasonline.com,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
On the ensuing possession, Rice was fouled and converted the first of two free throws with 22 seconds to go.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Jan. 2025
-
She has been told her home was converted into an Israeli military outpost and is still standing.—
Ghada Abdulfattah,
The Christian Science Monitor,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
In the hills of the Palisades, near the Temescal Ridge Trail, Alex Emerick, 34, his younger sister, Rainier, and their parents grabbed garden hoses at their home of 33 years.—
Laura J. Nelson,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2025
-
The witness jumped in to assist and grab the knife, cutting himself in the process.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Historic museums set within ornate palazzos occupy much of the city, such as Palazzo Madama, Turin’s municipal museum of ancient art, and Palazzo Reale di Torino, a 16th-century palace built for the House of Savoy.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2025
-
By then, anti-vaccination protesters had occupied the grounds outside Parliament, and Ardern and her family were threatened with violence.—
Caryn James,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to commandeer
Thesaurus Entries Near commandeer
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share