preempt

verb

prē-ˈem(p)t How to pronounce preempt (audio)
Definition of preemptnext
as in to seize
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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Example 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 preempt The court could also choose to make clear that state-law damages claims could go forward, or that federal law preempts the claims altogether. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 But the state supreme court affirmed in a 5-2 decision that Boulder’s legal claims are not preempted by federal law and that a trial could proceed in Boulder district court. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026 Lately, state lawmakers have also handed down laws preempting local ordinances on workplace safety, cruise ships, climate goals, fertilizer, naming of airports and painting sidewalks. — Nico Rivero, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 The companies argue that the local claims are preempted by federal laws such as the Clean Air Act. — Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for preempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempt
  1. seize
  2. usurp
  3. confiscate
  4. grab
  5. steal
  6. claim
  7. convert
  8. occupy
Verb
  • Experts worry federal law enforcement could potentially use those false claims — or others generated this year — as pretext to try to seize ballots during the counting period, or interfere in the process in some other way.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Those weaknesses could enable cybercriminals to seize control of unprotected website servers, install malware, pilfer customer data and even take sites down completely.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • But having your name be usurped by a bag is a strangely dehumanizing experience.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
  • By the time the coffee shop building was going up at the end of the route in 1959, Fresco said, interstate freeways were already beginning to usurp Route 66’s role and the Santa Monica route of Interstate 10 had been plotted.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of usurp
Verb
  • Italian authorities had bolstered security forces in Milan with hundreds of military troops who conducted searches and confiscated baseball bats, fireworks and face masks from scores of protesters.
    — Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Arriving from Barcelona, the local landlord, however, confiscates Fagas’ America rifle, given to him by his father.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscate
Verb
  • Finally, grab 32% off the Eufy E340 Security Video Doorbell with Chime, providing dual 2K cameras and color night vision.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
  • James scored 18 points, grabbed two rebounds and was a minus-22 going up against Paul Reed, and the 76ers were left to hope his presence at center was nothing more than a cameo.
    — Dan Gelston, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The response comes as the French government increases scrutiny of online marketplaces following reports that goods stolen during Saturday’s unrest were being offered for sale online.
    — Sadie Andrew, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot claim the future of Israel and its security is at stake.
    — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack; the attackers’ motive remained unknown.
    — Omar Akour, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of claim
Verb
  • The challenge is converting it into affordable products at scale, something China has become remarkably effective at doing.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Bloom, which makes fuel cells that can convert everything from fossil fuels to hydrogen into electricity, also raised its full-year revenue outlook.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of convert
Verb
  • He had been courted by an investment group to helm a vast space on North Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood, previously occupied by a Spanish-leaning restaurant called Soulmate.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In June, Israel launched a preëmptive strike against Egypt, setting off the Six-Day War, and proceeded to occupy the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
    — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of occupy

Browse Nearby Words

preeminent
preempt
preempted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempt. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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