expropriates

Definition of expropriatesnext
present tense third-person singular of expropriate
1
2
as in evicts
to end the occupancy or possession of the state will have to expropriate scores of homeowners in order to build the new road

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in confiscates
to take ownership or control of (something) by right of one's authority plans by the city to expropriate entire blocks of houses in order to bulldoze them for expansion of the airport

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expropriates
Verb
  • Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.
    Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Ashley evicts Morgan Ashley evicts Morgan.
    Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 28 Sep. 2025
  • In the city of Cluj, located within the country’s Transylvania region, a bailiff named Orsolya (Eszter Tompa) evicts the homeless Ion (Gabriel Spahiu) from the unused cellar of a local house to make way for the construction of the Kontinental boutique hotel.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.
    Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 26 Nov. 2025
  • Milwaukee Marshall High School confiscates a student’s phone until the end of the day for a first offense, requires a parent pickup after a second offense and issues an automatic suspension for repeat violations.
    Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • After witnessing Sinner miss 16 break points against the same opponent on Friday, Alcaraz would have been forgiven for worrying that something similar might happen to him — especially against arguably tennis’s greatest escape artist, at least until the Spaniard usurps him.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Jokic usurps Nurkic Jusuf Nurkic became Jokic’s first backup center in unceremonious fashion, getting benched by Michael Malone 25 games into his third season.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott dispossesses Virgil van Dijk and Semenyo secures the loose ball.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Henson, who does a lot with a character that doesn’t monopolize the spotlight, touches little Zonia’s hair or steals a subtle glance at her now and then.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The Pledge is meaningless if the president of the United States lies to us, divides us, bullies us and steals from us.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • By misclassifying these workers as independent contractors, says the complaint, Campbell’s deprives them of the bundle of rights employees enjoy, including minimum wage, overtime, expense reimbursement and sick pay.
    Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The Department of the Interior’s decision to remove the exhibit deprives park visitors of a full and accurate understanding of American history.
    Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Kurt's key takeaways The skating is what grabs you first.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
  • This evergreen, perennial vine grabs the attention of those looking for an ornamental groundcover.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expropriates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expropriates. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on expropriates

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster