as in takeover
the unlawful taking or withholding of something from the rightful owner under a guise of authority
the Spanish navy's commandeering of fishing boats and impressment of fishermen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in hijacking
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in seizing
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commandeering
Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
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
She was accused of commandeering a car owned by a neighbor and former friend and then driving it into the woman, according to court papers.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 11 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
Companies got creative when shipping costs skyrocketed, placing orders directly with factories to cut out intermediaries or commandeering their own container ships and planes to ensure timely delivery.
—Shannon K. O'Neil, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2021
Verb
Trump declared a crime emergency earlier in August, and his administration deployed federal law enforcement agencies and National Guard members to the District, giving them unprecedented authority to patrol its streets while also commandeering the Metropolitan Police force.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
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
She was accused of commandeering a car owned by a neighbor and former friend and then driving it into the woman, according to court papers.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 11 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
Companies got creative when shipping costs skyrocketed, placing orders directly with factories to cut out intermediaries or commandeering their own container ships and planes to ensure timely delivery.
—Shannon K. O'Neil, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeering
Noun
-
Experts say a forcible takeover would likely knock Taiwan's chipmakers offline, temporarily if not longer term.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Between their 2018 takeover and the end of 2023-24, Villa spent 132 per cent of income on wages and player amortisation costs.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The hacker’s malware focuses on stealing cryptocurrency by hijacking and manipulating the user's browser.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
8 Sep. 2025
-
In fact, because hijacking passenger planes was common in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amended their safety regulations in 1972 and started requiring large passenger aircraft exits to be designed so that they can’t be opened during flight.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Despite the slowdown in Europe’s soft denim sales, Turkish mill Isko is seizing new growth opportunities across Asia.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Sep. 2025
-
This one was about seizing one of the sweetest victories of his legendary career … whether the old quarterback wanted to admit it or not.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
His father, Rob Sampson, added to CBS News that Logan has only had two seizures, but could be vulnerable without his medication.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
-
We're protected from unreasonable searches and seizures.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Additionally, Bobby is part of a human trafficking scheme with Tony Curran, bringing in workers from Eastern Europe and confiscating their passports.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
If, for example, the EU speeds up delivery of ammunition and drones from existing stock and extends a financial lifeline to Kyiv by confiscating the $250 billion worth of frozen Russian assets sitting in its banks, the Kremlin may not achieve its strategic goal of Ukraine’s subjugation.—
Alexander Gabuev,
Foreign Affairs,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In recent years, it has been funded with a relatively even split of private donations to support its programming, and federal appropriations provided by Congress to support its core operations including the maintenance of the facilities, further underscoring its unique status.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Congress is expected to vote this week on one of its 12 appropriations bills to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2026 and avoid a shutdown.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The core of the game is stealing characters from other gamers.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
5 Sep. 2025
-
From her start as a Fly Girl on the sketch comedy program In Living Color in the early ’90s to stealing scenes in Selena and The Wedding Planner, then topping charts with her debut album On the 6.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More than a month after his death, Ozzy Osbourne’s music has largely slipped away from the Billboard charts following the headline-grabbing news that one of rock’s founding fathers had passed away.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commandeering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeering. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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