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
In a hilarious video of the interaction, the former Memphis Grizzlies star — who had 25 points and three blocks in the game — stood stock still as Mandel commandeered the interview.
—
Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Police say that when the friend refused, Rosas punched him in the face, knocking out his tooth, and commandeered the car.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Although this year’s edition of the Oscars, which aired on ABC on March 15, was hardly in the class of the 1972 installment, there was at least one moment that recalled Johnson’s witty, graceful sendup of stars commandeering the ceremony to climb atop their soapbox.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Republicans describe it as a way for liberals in northern Virginia to commandeer congressional districts in the rest of the state.
—Meg Kinnard The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Police say that when the friend refused, Rosas punched him in the face, knocking out his tooth, and commandeered the car.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Although this year’s edition of the Oscars, which aired on ABC on March 15, was hardly in the class of the 1972 installment, there was at least one moment that recalled Johnson’s witty, graceful sendup of stars commandeering the ceremony to climb atop their soapbox.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Republicans describe it as a way for liberals in northern Virginia to commandeer congressional districts in the rest of the state.
—Meg Kinnard The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
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Opting out of the primary opens the door for the most partisan elements of a party to hijack the nomination process.—
Kent Thiry,
Denver Post,
27 Apr. 2026
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In the final cut, Mabel accidentally stumbles upon research being done by her biology professor (Kathy Najimy), discovers the technology, and hijacks a robot beaver.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That collapse is spurred not just by Napoleon, but also outside pressure from the human-run Pilkington Corporation, intent on reclaiming the freedom that these precious cartoon animals just seized.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
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Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The war ends, and marauding Russians confiscate the family estate.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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Israeli police have for years confiscated Palestinian flags from Palestinians, accusing them of disturbing the peace.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This would reset the balance between the executive and legislative branches, demanding the House and Senate not cede excessive authority to unelected bureaucrats who are only too happy to usurp legislative powers.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
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Rookie catcher Daniel Susac isn’t going to usurp Bailey, a two-time Gold Glover, after a couple of good starts, but Susac could very well see more time against lefties.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Along with Lee, second baseman Luis Arraez collected three hits and stole his team-leading fourth base of the season.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
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The senior right-hander gave up a two-out single in the fifth but that runner was thrown out trying to steal second.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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McDaniels delivered 20 points, converting 9 of 13 shots, and added 10 rebounds.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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Bromfield had nearly finished converting the 25,000-square-foot brick building to apartments when the pandemic derailed his work.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rivera’s defense team contended that the gun went off inadvertently in a struggle after Rosen reached into the car and grabbed Rivera.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Walsh locked down Maxey out of a Sixers timeout to force a turnover, and the Celtics grabbed four offensive rebounds on one first-quarter possession, with Walsh and Scheierman accounting for three of them.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This exercise is intended to not only show where the Rangers have players in place for 2026-27, and which spots those players are likely to occupy, but also to highlight the most glaring holes.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Ganni has historically occupied a clearly accessible contemporary positioning, but its elevation strategy has nudged it upward without fully redefining what the brand stands for.—
Maliha Shoaib,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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