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

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 usurped When Shuja was usurped in Afghanistan by a rival brother, Shuja’s wife, Wa’fa Begum, fled to Lahore for safety. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026 Colby opened camp on the first string but has been usurped the past week by veteran Rob Jones, whose violent streak showed up well in Tuesday’s action against the Titans. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026 Mikesic said LivaNova’s actions usurped Cansler’s ability to request information from the company’s corporate representatives and witnesses as her attorneys prepared for trial. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 His story is one rife with terror, pain and a sweltering rage that has usurped everything around him. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026 Season 2 was a major improvement, which was then usurped by season 3, which brought in new uniforms, new sets, and Michael Piller to head up the writing team. — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 Since around 2020, the literary precinct of the social-media platform TikTok seems to have usurped older marketing and publicity strategies as a primary driver of sales. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Chemsdine Talbi is a ‘big moments’ player but was usurped on the right side of midfield by full-back-by-trade Trai Hume toward the end of last season. — Luke Bosher, New York Times, 31 July 2026 When talkies usurped silent films, in the late 1920s, theaters scrambled to adapt to a new, squatter format. — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurped
  1. seized
  2. confiscated
  3. grabbed
  4. stole
  5. occupied
  6. converted
  7. claimed
  8. appropriated
Verb
  • When asked about the spate of shootings, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told NPR that the task force has made more than 11,000 arrests and seized more than 2,000 firearms.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Investors seized on that weakness, many placing bets that the cryptocurrency would be stuck in that range for some time to come.
    — Michelle Chapman, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • The order also noted that $160 that had been confiscated in the arrest would be forfeited to MVHTTF, which appears to stand for the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Human rights organizations and medical volunteers have said that among the items being confiscated are incubators, ventilators and antibiotics.
    — Leila Fadel, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • Clark then went back to his golf bag, grabbed another iron, and placed it behind the ball.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The one that has grabbed most of the headlines is its pull back from LIV.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • But Jacob Young worked the count, drew a walk, stole second and scored on Daylen Lile’s single to tie the game 2-2.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Thursday night, though, a different kind of football stole the spotlight at Sanford Stadium.
    — Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of stole
Verb
  • The Israeli military seized a 400 square kilometer buffer zone inside Syria after the 2024 collapse of the Assad regime and has occupied it since.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, occupied a space in our global cultural imagination — a figure of American mythology, someone best described as larger-than-life and then a little bit more.
    — Maria Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • After defender Bianca St-Georges tripped Maycee Bell, Sanchez converted in the 107th.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The resource holds enormous value for deep-space exploration and a potential lunar base because it can be converted to breathable air, drinking water or even rocket fuel.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of converted
Verb
  • In his comments, the most substantial since taking on the new role, Rezaei also claimed the US’ attack on Iran had encouraged countries to seek protection by acquiring nuclear weapons.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The league also claimed Gold participated in parlay bets on NFL and college games.
    — Doug Haller, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of claimed
Verb
  • Updates in the court battle offered some behind-the-scenes details about the renovation project, for which Congress appropriated $257 million.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Although Congress appropriated $345 million for the 2026 fiscal year, much of it has gone unspent, with only $15 million going to grants so far.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of appropriated

Browse Nearby Words

usurpations
usurped
usurping
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Cite this Entry

“Usurped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurped. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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