as in to seize
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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Recent Examples of usurp
The beloved local chain of dive bars has been usurped in recent years by Gen Z, looking for cheap well drinks and a staff that won’t call the cops if seven people are vaping under a table.
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Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
Banks were usurped in their core function of deposit gathering and transaction accounts.
—Gene A. Grant Ii, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
The premise of this question is that the state legislature should usurp the role of the EPA in regulating emissions, for example expanding on CAFE standards or mandating EV’s.
—The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024
And that’s just scratching the surface: Any one of those could potentially be usurped by gems by Lainey Wilson, Sturgill Simpson, Megan Moroney, and Beyoncé.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for usurp 
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
Banks were usurped in their core function of deposit gathering and transaction accounts.
—Gene A. Grant Ii, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
The premise of this question is that the state legislature should usurp the role of the EPA in regulating emissions, for example expanding on CAFE standards or mandating EV’s.
—The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024
And that’s just scratching the surface: Any one of those could potentially be usurped by gems by Lainey Wilson, Sturgill Simpson, Megan Moroney, and Beyoncé.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for usurp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurp
Verb
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Six of the firearms seized at his home were legally registered to him.Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Democrats want to hold their majority in the Senate and keep Republicans from seizing control.The Hill, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Two days before, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation confiscated Peanut from his home in Pine City, New York.Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
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Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers confiscated more than 175 pounds of the drug during a traffic stop involving a Dodge Ram pickup on IH-35 in Webb Country.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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At a glance, Fitzgerald played well enough as a rookie to enter next year as the favorite for starting shortstop, hitting 15 homers, stealing 17 bases and posting an .831 OPS over 96 games.Justice delos Santos, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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The warheads could have been struck accidentally by drones or missiles—or deliberately attacked or stolen.William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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If not, grab your handheld vacuum to remove any dirt, crumbs and dead skin from the cushion.Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
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In response, Jason grabbed the individual's phone and threw it to the ground, a video that has been shared countless times on social media.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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India also bristled at the way one plank of the initiative—the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor—moved through territory that New Delhi insists belongs to India and is illegally occupied by Pakistan.Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024
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The property occupies a sizable 6,426-square-foot lot.Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Previously, Photoshop would have converted them to raster objects.PCMAG, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
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Detroit will have a 1st-and-10 from its own 47 (after converting a 3rd-and-16) to start the next quarter. 4d ago / 5:55 PM PST Copied Share Lions make goal-line stand, Texans get three Rohan Nadkarni Nice job by the Detroit defense to keep this game close.Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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