as in seizing
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of usurping
One wonders how long the citizens of those communities are going to put up with the state usurping their authority to govern themselves.
—
Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
One of the things that's gone really wrong in America is this gas station/convenience store/fast food restaurant that is usurping small town America.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
By January 2025, Szczesny had become manager Hansi Flick’s No 1 choice in goal, putting together a string of solid performances and usurping Inaki Pena in the role.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
This would seem to challenge the notion that AI usurping human skills will democratize them—for instance, by broadening who is able to contribute meaningfully to math’s advancement.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
Callie is popular and vivacious, perpetually surrounded by admirers and various hangers-on (Audrey Grace Marshall’s Cara is hellbent on usurping Minnie’s place in Callie’s life, while her himbo-esque boyfriend Brad is given wonderful dimension through Beck Nolan’s sneaky-good performance).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
He is now engaged in an ongoing insurrection by violating the Constitution, exceeding his lawful authorities, usurping Congress, and encouraging Republican states to manipulate voting districts and procedures.
—Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
The War of the Two Caesars also serves as a nice mirror for everything going down with the Brotherhood, Elder Cleric Quintus still hellbent on usurping the Commonwealth despite the arrival of Kumail Nanjiani’s Paladin Xander Harkness, an emissary from that neck of the woods.
—Jack King, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Over time, her biological daughters would number in the thousands, usurping the colony until none of the original species remained.
—CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025
Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
One of the things that's gone really wrong in America is this gas station/convenience store/fast food restaurant that is usurping small town America.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
By January 2025, Szczesny had become manager Hansi Flick’s No 1 choice in goal, putting together a string of solid performances and usurping Inaki Pena in the role.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
This would seem to challenge the notion that AI usurping human skills will democratize them—for instance, by broadening who is able to contribute meaningfully to math’s advancement.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
Callie is popular and vivacious, perpetually surrounded by admirers and various hangers-on (Audrey Grace Marshall’s Cara is hellbent on usurping Minnie’s place in Callie’s life, while her himbo-esque boyfriend Brad is given wonderful dimension through Beck Nolan’s sneaky-good performance).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
He is now engaged in an ongoing insurrection by violating the Constitution, exceeding his lawful authorities, usurping Congress, and encouraging Republican states to manipulate voting districts and procedures.
—Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
The War of the Two Caesars also serves as a nice mirror for everything going down with the Brotherhood, Elder Cleric Quintus still hellbent on usurping the Commonwealth despite the arrival of Kumail Nanjiani’s Paladin Xander Harkness, an emissary from that neck of the woods.
—Jack King, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Over time, her biological daughters would number in the thousands, usurping the colony until none of the original species remained.
—CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurping
Verb
-
Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves flexed even more of their defensive muscle against the flagging Denver Nuggets, seizing a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory on Thursday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Multiple videos show a masked federal agent seizing a 57-year-old woman, who says she was put in a chokehold, during the protest in Durango.—
Morgan Lee,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Officials say the ring targeted vulnerable residents by forging documents, stealing personal information about the real owners and arranging the sales of the properties.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
There's a long way to go before the season gets here and stealing the spotlight on Thursday night during the draft doesn’t guarantee anything.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The sisters’ mother, Vesta Louis, told Politico this week that federal investigators raided both of their homes in simultaneous operations on March 23, confiscating their cellphones and other electronics.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
-
While Tehran is being bombarded, the regime’s security forces have been stationed at checkpoints across the city, searching civilians and confiscating their phones.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Jaguars used their first pick of the NFL draft to land the blocking tight end Friday night, grabbing him in the second round with the 56th selection.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Seahawks stayed put yet again at the end of the second round, grabbing TCU safety Bud Clark with the 64th pick.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Thorson is a native of Melbourne, Australia, which will allow the Vikings to keep him without occupying a roster spot.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the truce, both sides continue to strike each other, and Israeli forces have been occupying a buffer zone in Lebanon, demolishing some neighborhoods.—
Samy Magdy,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Joseph Heller’s novel, claiming to be crazy is taken as evidence of sanity.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Scammers call older people, falsely claiming the victim’s bank account, Social Security number or other personal information has been compromised, Sorrells said.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While some of the designs online vary, essentially a bed will come down from the ceiling on top of the couch on a conveyor belt system, converting the space, according to Ori’s website.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 30,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
With the latest update, S0 now integrates visual input from onboard stereo cameras, converting RGB images into a 3D spatial representation of the surroundings.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Usurping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurping. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
