1
as in to hijack
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
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2
as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
commandeered all of the equipment, as if the chem lab belonged solely to him
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commandeer
Acronyms and jargon illegible to civilians are flying everywhere, and the world effectively shrinks down to a two-story duplex the Americans have commandeered and the market across the street viewed almost exclusively through a sniper’s scope.
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Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
Each battleship has a handful of turrets and shield generators that look like the Eye of Sauron that must be disposed of before the Doom Slayer can commandeer the ship and take it down from the inside.
—Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
Tailoring Black Style, was transparently political: commandeering black celebrities just the way the Democratic Party does.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 May 2025
Officer Tietjen was stationed at the PATH station in Midtown and commandeered a taxi to reach the World Trade Center.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
Each battleship has a handful of turrets and shield generators that look like the Eye of Sauron that must be disposed of before the Doom Slayer can commandeer the ship and take it down from the inside.
—Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
Tailoring Black Style, was transparently political: commandeering black celebrities just the way the Democratic Party does.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 May 2025
Officer Tietjen was stationed at the PATH station in Midtown and commandeered a taxi to reach the World Trade Center.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
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With his keffiyeh, aviator sunglasses, and beard stubble, Arafat first received media attention in the 1960s and 1970s, when the PLO was hijacking airplanes and perpetrating terrorist attacks.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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Microsoft accounts are now at risk from a new attack that has hijacked Google’s App Scripts to provide a veil of authenticity when sending malicious phishing emails.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Arrests made, guns seized after 5 musicians found dead near U.S. border Feds charge California man with threatening to kill Trump on Facebook Cold Case DNA Florida Emily Mae Czachor Emily Mae Czachor is a news editor at CBSNews.com.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
3 June 2025
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Flores, a 70-year-old retired welder, had illegally seized a home five years ago after its owner, the California Department of Transportation, had left it vacant.—
Liam Dillon,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Her family remained in Italy until 1939, when the Italian Racial Laws barred Jews from certain jobs and ordered Jewish property and businesses to be confiscated.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
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After Parker was revealed to be Spider-Man, the glasses were confiscated and haven't been seen since.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit says the administration is usurping Congress' power to direct how federal money will be spent and to pass laws.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
28 May 2025
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Comments Netflix's Sirens finds Milly Alcock's Simone usurping Julianne Moore's Michaela as queen of the Kell family.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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This image from Japan catches a White-Tailed Sea Eagle hiding a fish in a hole as another eagle was approaching to steal it.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Meanwhile, there are Black folks serving life for stealing a pack of gum.—
Peter Aitken
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 June 2025
Verb
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According to Academy rules, this converts the category into a juried award.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
12 June 2025
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Nearby Experiences Off-property, a 10-minute drive away, check into Havn, a WWII-era barge converted into a wellness spa docked in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.—
Katie Nanton,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Appeal To All Five Senses People still like going out, meeting others and grabbing coffee.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Scott grabbed some pizza and returned to park her Subaru near the West Shore Market to wait for Serafini.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Nearly the entire Republican Party, which occupied about seventy percent of congressional seats, voted for it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 June 2025
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In a space formerly occupied by the finance ministry, a towering glass ceiling shelters statues that once cavorted in open courtyards.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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