Thesaurus results for USURPED

usurped

verb

past tense of usurp

as in seized

to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right the mayor usurped the school board's authority when he fired the principal

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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 usurped That could impact the situation of Clarke, who outplayed Doughty and usurped his former position on the power play but logged fewer minutes at right defense just the same. — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 2 May 2026 The wedding broke the record for the largest single-location mass wedding at the time, until it was usurped in 2023, per Guinness World Records. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 Congress’s celebration, planned for a decade, has been usurped by the president’s celebration, funded by private donors and featuring a political speech by himself. — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 In other words, the apparatus that became the modern movie camera, up until digital technology usurped the role that film cameras played in capturing the first 100 years of filmmaking. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026 Though its glam environs were eventually usurped by Hawaii’s many newer luxury resorts, an extensive renovation in 2008 gave the Mauna Kea an update without sacrificing its throwback charm. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 May 2026 Vodka had overtaken gin in popularity by 1967, but by 2000 had fully usurped it, like Claudius to King Hamlet—occupied its position, married its wife, and taken control of its lands. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026 The ‌Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in March upheld a complaint by Ukraine that Russia’s chess federation had usurped control of the game in areas of Ukraine captured by the Russian military. — CNN Money, 12 June 2026 However, the German has — 12 years after claiming the record from the Brazilian Ronaldo with his 16th World Cup goal — been usurped by Messi and, like so many before him, will have to settle for playing second fiddle to the 38-year-old Argentinian. — Will Jeanes, New York Times, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurped

Verb

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who voted against the proposal in mid-June, voiced fears that the list of noncitizen voters would immediately be seized by federal immigration authorities.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Meanwhile, Russia’s military on Saturday claimed to have seized the city of Kostiantynivka, a key defensive hub in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

— Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 4 July 2026

Definition of seized

Verb

The most obvious concession is compensating Cubans and Americans whose assets were confiscated during the revolution.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
With the charges dismissed, Patel will no longer face prosecution and is expected to receive his passport back shortly after it was confiscated by authorities.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 July 2026

Definition of confiscated

Verb

When Kennedy approached the rider and grabbed the handlebars to check whether the bike was registered, the rider refused to get off and allegedly tried to pull away.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Maura Higgins, breakout star of The Traitors, grabbed her best tennis whites to ace the style assignment at Wimbledon 2026.

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 1 July 2026

Definition of grabbed

Verb

But the location of his grave was lost once British troops retook the city in late 1778 and occupied it through the war’s end, camping in the cemetery.

— Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 30 June 2026
Dying was such a momentous thing to do, and while Matthew, their dear friend, their cousin-brother, had been off doing it, the women had occupied themselves with such frivolities as cleaning and heat.

— Danielle Parker, CBS News, 30 June 2026

Definition of occupied

Verb

Bellingham scored two goals 98 seconds apart in the first half, and six minutes after Jarell Quansah was sent off, Kane converted a penalty to restore England’s two-goal lead.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Half the elegant stable block (converted into a studio by Beaton) and a cozy dairy house remained.

— Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026

Definition of converted

Verb

The Dodgers claimed a series win in the four-game home set against their division rival, with the chance to sweep Sunday.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Russia meanwhile has claimed that its forces now control the important town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

Definition of claimed

Verb

Sununu, who formerly served as governor of New Hampshire, urged Congress to find more money to overhaul the air traffic control system — on top of the billions lawmakers appropriated last year to upgrade communications and radar equipment.

— Joel Rose, NPR, 1 July 2026
The Legislature appropriated $5 million in one-time funding, so next year, lawmakers will have to decide whether to allocate additional money.

— Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026

Definition of appropriated

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“Usurped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurped. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of usurped

verb

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