as in seized
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preempted
Jimmy Kimmel Live found itself at the forefront of national conversation in September when ABC abruptly suspended the show after affiliate groups like Sinclair and Nexstar preempted the show following a suggestion from FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
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Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
The Supreme Court did not address the equal protection argument, instead ruling that the city ordinances are preempted by state law.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
In late October, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released what’s known as an interpretive rule, stating that laws prohibiting medical debt reporting in 15 states are preempted by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2025
The concern is that FDA will not remove unsafe ingredients, and then the states are preempted from doing so, leaving Americans unprotected.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
As such, any Charter provision in conflict with the statute is preempted.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Shortly after, Rice approached the same set of double doors exiting the locker room that had preempted the talk from Kelce.
—Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2025
Nexstar and Sinclair temporarily preempted the show on their respective affiliate stations.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
For example, state lawmakers in 2024 preempted the city’s cap of rental application fees at $30.
—Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempted
Verb
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The London punk rebels seized the revolutionary spirit of 1977 with their raw manifesto The Clash, then refined their sound with the flawed Give ‘Em Enough Rope.—
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Government security forces seized 1,764 tonnes of cocaine between August 2022 and November 2024, followed by a further 601 tonnes between January and August 2025.—
Verb
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Russia said the attack was retaliation for what Moscow claimed was a Ukrainian drone strike on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence last month.—
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As the Ole Miss football team tried to win its national semifinal, the women's basketball team claimed one of the biggest wins in school history.—
Verb
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French authorities confiscated the cocaine.—
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While raising the kids together, Ruby and Hildebrandt abused the two youngest children with harsh punishments and torture, according to Ruby's journal that was later confiscated.—
Verb
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Surprisingly usurped last year’s player of the season Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back.—
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But, in the United States, its role was usurped by Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language, which made its début in 1828.—
Verb
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When mega-housing developments sprang up on land formerly occupied by ranches and pine plantations, far from schools, utilities and roads the new residents would need, with taxpayers helping to foot the bill for those connections.—
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To qualify for Solar MAP+, properties must include at least five units with at least 60% of the units occupied by residents earning less than 60% of area median income, according to Connecticut Green Bank officials.—
Verb
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Javonte Green missed a potential tying 3-point try and Paul Reed grabbed the rebound, but committed Detroit's 25th turnover.—
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Carolyn Collins scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Mya Korpal had 15 points as Winchester came back to defeat Reading 54-53 in Middlesex League play.—
Verb
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In the 12 and a half years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired and the two since Sir Jim Ratcliffe assumed control of the club’s football operations, United have evidently not become a better football club.—
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That same year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created and assumed control of the program.—
Verb
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In a 40-page filing to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, the administration insisted that being forced to spend money Congress has already appropriated is a graver injury than the hunger and disruption that would follow from withholding it.—
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In his signing statement, the President appropriated the arguments put forward by the bill’s champions.—
Cite this Entry
“Preempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempted. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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