peculate

verb

Definition of peculatenext
as in to usurp

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for peculate
  1. usurp
  2. embezzle
  3. seize
  4. preempt
  5. appropriate
  6. misuse
  7. arrogate
  8. confiscate
Verb
  • If banks are not involved in the innovation of stablecoins then banks risk fintech companies completely usurping their role in the space.
    — Gene A. Grant II, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The band will perform a total of 44 concerts, usurping Bruce Springsteen’s record of 42, according to a press release.
    — Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of usurp
Verb
  • Girardi was found guilty in August of four counts of wire fraud for embezzling millions of dollars from his law firm’s clients, then using the funds to underwrite a lavish lifestyle for himself and his now-estranged wife, reality TV star Erika Girardi.
    — Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
  • The crime was the largest theft of Marin public funds since Eric Faulks, a former county official, embezzled $1.9 million from the rental assistance program.
    — Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2024
Definition of embezzle
Verb
  • Trump’s executive order about seized bitcoin mostly stayed within executive purview, but bigger moves will demand broader buy-in.
    — Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • In turn, Trump imposed double-digit tariffs against each nation until the amount of fentanyl being seized at the nation’s border drops to next to nothing.
    — Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Rudy Gobert: The Jazz center tested positive March 11, preempting that night's game in Oklahoma City.
    — Erin Alberty, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025
  • That same month, a furious British Prime Minister Theresa May complained to the American president that his officials had disclosed the name of a suicide bomber who attacked a concert arena in Manchester, preempting local law enforcement.
    — Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of preempt
Verb
  • In response, the City Council appropriated the largest TIF surplus in the history of Chicago and gave CPS a record $300 million to help cover the cost of the payment.
    — Jason Ervin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
  • That money was never appropriated by Congress, however, because the government has been functioning under a series of temporary stopgap measures called continuing resolutions since the office was created in 2022.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of appropriate
Verb
  • Bellis’ confidentiality orders limited the sharing of the private, personal information out of fear that it could be misused to ridicule those suing Jones.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Sometimes, fraudulent advice includes encouraging people to create or misuse W-2 forms to generate a bigger refund.
    — Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of misuse
Verb
  • Disney arrogates those traits, skills, and experiences, essentially using modern female ideals to challenge traditional masculine ideals.
    — Armond White, National Review, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Back before the federal government arrogated to itself an outsize role as financier of college education, the Wayne States of the world were where ambitious people who didn’t have a lot of money, who wanted to save money on college, or both, got their degrees.
    — John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
Definition of arrogate
Verb
  • This comes after authorities confiscated a deer that a Pennsylvania woman had been keeping as a pet earlier this year, as previously reported by PEOPLE.
    — Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Others believe that their children are entitled to a decent lunch and complain when schools confiscate their child's food after ordering in.
    — Annabelle Canela, Parents, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of confiscate
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Pecksniffian
peculate
peculated
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Cite this Entry

“Peculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peculate. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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