as in takeovers
the unlawful taking or withholding of something from the rightful owner under a guise of authority
longtime residents resented the preemption of their urban neighborhood by this influx of affluent yuppies
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Recent Examples of preemptions
The measure expands an existing prohibition on local governments from limiting agritourism activity on agricultural property to include preemptions against those property owners from having to obtain a rural event venue permit or license.
—
CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
An astonishing 134 preemptions have become law since 2013, according to the Florida Association of Counties.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Even with nearly a quarter of the country blacked out due to affiliate preemptions — protests and temper tantrums by station groups and owners, basically — Jimmy Kimmel Live!
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
It should be noted that preemptions were significant throughout premiere week, with syndicated series bumped to make room for Monday Night Football and the 24th anniversary of 9/11, which are standard at this time of year, in addition to as coverage of both the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
An astonishing 134 preemptions have become law since 2013, according to the Florida Association of Counties.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Even with nearly a quarter of the country blacked out due to affiliate preemptions — protests and temper tantrums by station groups and owners, basically — Jimmy Kimmel Live!
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
It should be noted that preemptions were significant throughout premiere week, with syndicated series bumped to make room for Monday Night Football and the 24th anniversary of 9/11, which are standard at this time of year, in addition to as coverage of both the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preemptions
Noun
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Since then, the district named literacy its top priority; county officials called on all Tarrant school districts to develop plans ensuring all students read on grade level; and two state takeovers have taken shape in the Fort Worth and Lake Worth school districts to improve student achievement.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
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Street takeovers are aggressive, dangerous and have nothing to do with an appreciation of cars.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As a result, Democrats refused to fund DHS as part of regular appropriations, pushing for new restrictions on how immigration enforcement officials conduct themselves.—
Ryan Lucas,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
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Its next stop will be the lower chamber’s appropriations committee.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Amari has epilepsy and is prone to seizures, according to Today.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Without treatment, meningitis can be life-threatening and lead to seizures, hearing or vision loss, fluid buildup in the brain, sepsis and more.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But county commissioners voted in February to put a moratorium on annexations and incorporations for at least five years to give the county time to assess the fiscal impact of future annexation and incorporations.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preemptions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preemptions. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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