as in to integrate
to make a part of a body or system the national organization co-opted many formerly independent local groups

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 co-opt Their disillusionment with a religion co-opted to maintain white supremacy echoes in today’s religious and political landscape. Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025 Some of these features have been co-opted or repurposed for a different function due to evolutionary changes in environment, behavior, or selective pressures. Julia Craven, Popular Science, 13 Feb. 2025 The record-breaking victory lap, which lambasted Drake and had everyone and their Presidential candidate’s mother co-opting the phrase, has been an unprecedented rap phenomenon. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025 Yet, Trump’s directives rely on co-opting police and prosecutors into immigration enforcers, which will divert limited time, resources, and attention from real public safety issues. Cristine Soto Deberry, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for co-opt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for co-opt
Verb
  • Many companies are scrambling to integrate AI, but is that always a good idea?
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The mass layoffs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — more than 600, according to the former agency head — include at least one high-profile meteorologist in Miami and another charged with integrating artificial intelligence into climate and weather predictions.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Slowly incorporate physical activity into your life.
    Ashley Olivine, Ph.D., MPH, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2025
  • China and Russia recently incorporated interests in Antarctica into their national security strategies, and China has invested in an icebreaker fleet and the construction of satellite ground stations on the continent that could be repurposed for military applications.
    Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • It was created as an Indian boarding school, where children were removed from their parents and tribal nations to be stripped of their culture and heritage and assimilated into white America.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2025
  • But the idea that Buffalo must assimilate Philly’s approach on the fly isn’t so simple to implement and might not even be the way to go.
    Tim Graham, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Co-opt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/co-opt. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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