as in seizes
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
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Recent Examples of preempts
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preempts states from enacting laws that conflict with ERISA on regulated benefit plans.
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Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Story editing is a form of self-talk that preempts your under-estimator from seizing control with its bludgeoning feedback.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Under state law, the legislature currently preempts all authority of a home rule charter or city government to regulate firearms and ammunition.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Bukele also used emergency powers to introduce indefinite pretrial detention, which means that the state does not need to present convincing evidence in court before locking a suspect up for extended periods and preempts the possibility that a corrupt judge would release the suspect.
—Gustavo Flores-Macías, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preempts
Verb
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The slender but powerful book takes place over the course of a week, when Ma’s plans are suddenly imperiled while Boomba seizes the chance to make up for his past mistakes and help his family.—
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In the novel, Joan Goodwin, a physics professor with a lifelong love of the stars, seizes the chance to join NASA’s first class of women astronauts and soon finds friendship, passion, and purpose among her fellow trainees.—
Verb
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Jokic usurps Nurkic Jusuf Nurkic became Jokic’s first backup center in unceremonious fashion, getting benched by Michael Malone 25 games into his third season.—
Verb
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The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.—
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Milwaukee Marshall High School confiscates a student’s phone until the end of the day for a first offense, requires a parent pickup after a second offense and issues an automatic suspension for repeat violations.—
Verb
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But as the ball arrives the defender grabs the jersey with the right hand and pulls the defender down.—
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As one officer grabs at her door handle, a third officer who had circled to the front of the SUV from the opposite side draws his gun.—
Verb
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The property occupies a sizable 6,868-square-foot lot.—
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Hisense says cyan occupies a part of the spectrum where the human eye is especially sensitive, allowing the panel to render smoother gradients, more realistic tones and subtler transitions without oversaturation.—
Verb
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One of the brothers claims that Busfield rubbed his genitals and touched his buttocks during the production, per the warrant.—
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No additional configuration or calibration is required, the company claims.—
Verb
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Tadd Fujikawa, just shy of his 16th birthday, steals the show at the Sony Open.—
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Millions are unemployed as AI steals entry-level roles—and experts don’t see the dire situation improving, instead warning that the traditional college-to-office path is forever broken.—
Verb
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The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds.—
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The state appropriates funds for the voucher program at the beginning of the fiscal year and then seeks federal reimbursement.—
Cite this Entry
“Preempts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preempts. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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