preempting

verb

Definition of preemptingnext
present participle of preempt
as in seizing
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right the thoughtless teenagers had preempted front-row seats that were reserved for the guests of honor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempting
  1. seizing
  2. grabbing
  3. usurping
  4. commandeering
Verb
  • The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) forces have since received training by Russian forces in the Far East and first engaged in combat with Ukrainian military in November, subsequently seizing their first village in Kursk, Plekhovo, earlier this month.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Individuals are seizing opportunities as well.
    Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of seizing
Verb
  • But despite the headline-grabbing incidents, authorities say crime is actually down in New York and on its transit systems.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Dell was visibly hurt after grabbing his knee and not making much movement.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of grabbing
Verb
  • Unfortunately, mid-rehearsal, their mother, Rose (an absolutely magnificent McDonald), comes thundering onto the stage, usurping Jocko’s leadership and sucking up all of the air into the room.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
  • For instance, one of his first actions was to fund the Al-Jazeera Arabic satellite television station, allowing Qatar to set the agenda on TV screens from Casablanca to Cairo, usurping the role once played by state information ministries.
    Allen Fromherz / Made by History, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024
Definition of usurping
Verb
  • View 3 Images By commandeering smart thermostats and water heaters and sipping power from in-home EV chargers, virtual power plants are being formed across the country.
    Michael Franco, New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
  • She was accused of commandeering a car owned by a neighbor and former friend and then driving it into the woman, according to court papers.
    Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of commandeering
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 preempting

preempted

preempting

preemption

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Preempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempting. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on preempting

Nglish: Translation of preempting for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of preempting for Arabic Speakers

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...