peculate

verb

Definition of peculatenext
as in to usurp

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for peculate
  1. usurp
  2. embezzle
  3. seize
  4. preempt
  5. appropriate
  6. misuse
  7. arrogate
  8. confiscate
Verb
  • Spotify, with its much vaunted algorithms, had usurped these old modes of finding new music and promised something greater: a centralized hub where the entirety of one’s discovery and listening could occur.
    Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2024
  • In 2023, according to Guiness, a farmer in Quebec usurped Cool Patch for the title to world’s largest maze.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024
Definition of usurp
Verb
  • During her first trial in April, Lan was found guilty of embezzling $12.5 billion, but prosecutors said the total damages caused by the scam amounted to $27 billion — equivalent to around six percent of the country’s 2023 GDP.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune Asia, 12 Dec. 2024
  • In 1955, James and his wife, Eleanore, built the house that stands on the farm but only lived there a short while, as James was convicted of embezzling $900,000 in union welfare fund premiums and served nine months in a New Jersey prison before being released for health reasons.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of embezzle
Verb
  • In between lies what's known as the area of separation. Rebels, some of them receiving Israeli aid, had previously seized positions on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights at the onset of the country's civil war.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Congress must seize this opportunity to protect patients and make health care more affordable for everyone.
    Lisa Abrams, Baltimore Sun, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Electronics brands can preempt tariffs by advancing orders and diversifying suppliers to regions like Vietnam or India.
    Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Brian Williams, the father of the 16-year-old who sued against Tennessee’s law known as Senate Bill 1, argues that other patients who have expressed positive experiences undergoing such treatments should not be preempted from undergoing procedures before the age of 18.
    Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of preempt
Verb
  • If institutions accept that money, which is appropriated by Congress, they are mandated to follow federal laws and regulations.
    Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024
  • Currently, Congress appropriates around $1.3 billion of assistance for Egypt on a yearly basis, but some of that funding is conditioned on the fulfillment of human-rights requirements.
    Michael Wahid Hanna, Foreign Affairs, 26 Nov. 2024
Definition of appropriate
Verb
  • The typical solution is to berate co-workers for misusing the channel, which is impolite, hurts everyone’s feelings and does not work.
    Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Companies like Spotify need to implement measures to prevent their platforms from being misused by scammers.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024
Definition of misuse
Verb
  • Disney arrogates those traits, skills, and experiences, essentially using modern female ideals to challenge traditional masculine ideals.
    Armond White, National Review, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Back before the federal government arrogated to itself an outsize role as financier of college education, the Wayne States of the world were where ambitious people who didn’t have a lot of money, who wanted to save money on college, or both, got their degrees.
    John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
Definition of arrogate
Verb
  • Shortly after releasing six tracks from the project, TMZ reported that his cell was raided and any equipment that could be used to record audio was confiscated.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 13 Dec. 2024
  • In 2009, the high-school student was taken from her home in Homs by Syrian security forces, and her computer, CDs and other possessions confiscated, according to Amnesty International.
    Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of confiscate
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near peculate

Pecksniffian

peculate

peculated

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Peculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peculate. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...