preempted

verb

Definition of preemptednext
past tense of preempt
as in seized
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right the thoughtless teenagers had preempted front-row seats that were reserved for the guests of honor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempted
  1. seized
  2. confiscated
  3. occupied
  4. grabbed
  5. assumed
  6. appropriated
Verb
  • 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
  • Adebayo did not force his offense, in a game where there was little for the Heat to have to counter in the middle, but then seized control with his scoring late.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of seized
Verb
  • The airport bomb squad also responded and confiscated the fireworks.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The airport police bomb squad also responded and confiscated the explosives.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • One notable tweak is Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return to a traditional right-back role — by his own standards — having occupied more central spaces in Liverpool’s build-up during Klopp’s final season.
    Mark Carey, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Examples include things like running a stop sign, weaving into a lane already occupied by another vehicle, or stopping in the middle of the road for no discernible reason.
    Roberto Baldwin, Ars Technica, 22 Dec. 2024
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • Neely had been shouting angrily at passengers on a subway train when Penny grabbed him from behind and restrained him in a chokehold for several minutes.
    John Bacon, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Dell immediately grabbed at his knee and Wayne signaled for team trainers, who spent several minutes working on the wide receiver while teammates waited anxiously.
    Kristie Rieken, Baltimore Sun, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • And when positive intent is assumed by default, empathy and humility soon follow.
    Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Walsh assumed that the autobiographical stories were about Andrea and Gerry.
    Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of assumed
Verb
  • Federal employees are eligible for retroactive pay once funding is appropriated, per the OPM, and those who were furloughed could also receive unemployment benefits.
    Avery Lotz, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Since 2022, by contrast, Congress has appropriated $112 billion to the Defense Department to assist Kyiv.
    Elaine McCusker, Foreign Affairs, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of appropriated
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near preempted

preempt

preempted

preempting

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Preempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempted. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on preempted

Nglish: Translation of preempted for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of preempted for Arabic Speakers

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