arrogate

verb

ˈer-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce arrogate (audio)
Definition of arrogatenext
as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right arrogated the corner office without obtaining prior approval

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 arrogate What shouldn’t happen is for the federal government to arrogate to itself nationalization powers over what fans are so passionate about. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 But all of those ideas for spending or tax rebates, again, all of those are congressional authority that the president is arrogating to himself—something else that would have startled the founders of the country all those 250 years ago. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025 Like Mao and Deng before him, Xi Jinping has arrogated to himself great power. — Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025 Trump arrogated to himself the authority to impose sweeping tariffs on the entire world, a power that properly belongs to Congress, and has caused turmoil throughout the economy; many economic indicators are now pointing in the wrong direction. — The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025 In every period, the essence of politics has been that a tin-pot tsar who wants to arrogate to himself the right to personal, unaccountable power needs to intimidate the honest people who are not afraid of him. — Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arrogate
  1. seize
  2. usurp
  3. confiscate
  4. grab
  5. occupy
  6. claim
Verb
  • Meanwhile in 2023, the company seized the opportunity to launch on TikTok Shop with select brands shortly after the platform’s Stateside debut, and has since continued to innovate there through live-selling and cutting-edge creator partnerships.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The document notes that a bailiff has previously seized and auctioned property from the premises, but that has not met the debt.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • But by the end of the movie, Verity is dead and her publishing empire has been usurped by her ghostwriter.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Murray said that in recent spending negotiations, Democrats fought to include language to prevent the administration from usurping Congress’ power on spending decisions, but Republicans have declined to go along.
    — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of usurp
Verb
  • York had a cellphone returned to him, but the $160 that police confiscated from him was given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement.
    — Erick Mendoza, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • York was arrested after responding to an online prostitution by the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which confiscated his cellphone and $160 in cash.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscate
Verb
  • Two teenage suspects, ages 14 and 15, allegedly grabbed a necklace from the victim’s neck after walking by them, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Or, just head down to one of the bars by the pool or grab a fresh juice.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • Not far away, armed men had been occupying makeshift barricades, blocking roads and turning some drivers away.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Three women sit in front of me, each one occupying a salon chair in a tiny room with a single shampoo bowl, and one window that faces a bare, enclosed courtyard with yellowing grass.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of occupy
Verb
  • Taiwan and China split after a civil war in 1949, but Beijing claims the island as part of its own territory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • If the nightlife hasn’t got the better of you, rise early to claim the four-poster wooden daybed at ground level and order sushi from Seltz Champagne Bar.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of claim

Browse Nearby Words

arrogantly
arrogate
arrogated
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Cite this Entry

“Arrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arrogate. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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