EXPROPRIATE Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

expropriate

verb

ek-ˈsprō-prē-ˌāt

Definition of expropriate

as in to seize

to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right dissidents were shot, and their lands expropriated under his regime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to evict

to end the occupancy or possession of the state will have to expropriate scores of homeowners in order to build the new road

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to confiscate

to take ownership or control of (something) by right of one's authority plans by the city to expropriate entire blocks of houses in order to bulldoze them for expansion of the airport

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 expropriate Chávez had ordered all of Venezuela’s ports to be expropriated. — Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026 Gray says the project, revolving around an elderly woman seeking revenge on a foreign company that expropriated her land to build a luxury ski resort, offers international casting and co-producer angles but that the configuration will depend on Kawawada’s artistic vision. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2026 Farmland and forests owned jointly by a village or a clan were likewise expropriated by the Japanese since no single individual could claim them. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026 Much of that early ’Lo gear was boosted from department stores across the New York tristate Area, and ‘Lo Heads ran the risk of their own spoils being expropriated back home. — Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expropriate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expropriate

Verb

The continent’s political leaders must seize the moment to act, and not let this moment of Europtimism slide.

— Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for oil shipments.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of seize

Verb

In Spain, housing protests began in September after an 87-year-old woman, Maricarmen Abascal, was evicted following a 230% rent increase by an investment fund.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
The land the tribe inhabited before being evicted is now divided among ranchers, government agencies and a conservation nonprofit.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of evict

Verb

But having your name be usurped by a bag is a strangely dehumanizing experience.

— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
By the time the coffee shop building was going up at the end of the route in 1959, Fresco said, interstate freeways were already beginning to usurp Route 66’s role and the Santa Monica route of Interstate 10 had been plotted.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of usurp

Verb

The Russian nighttime barrage hit 28 substations and other critical energy facilities, depriving more than a half-million people of electricity, heat and running water, Zelenskyy said on social media.

— SAMYA KULLAB, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Disqualifying both lists would have deprived the vast majority of Palestinian voters of their preferred political representation.

— Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of deprive

Verb

Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
The response comes as the French government increases scrutiny of online marketplaces following reports that goods stolen during Saturday’s unrest were being offered for sale online.

— Sadie Andrew, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of steal

Verb

Sveindis Jonsdottir capped the scoring in the 67th minute, dispossessing Tatumn Milazzo deep in Utah territory before rolling a shot past McGlynn’s right side.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Sveindís Jónsdóttir capped the scoring in the 67th minute, dispossessing Tatumn Milazzo deep in Utah territory before rolling a shot past McGlynn’s right side.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of dispossess

Verb

Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
One 10-year-old girl, crying and trying to hug her father, was allegedly grabbed by the neck by law enforcement, according to the lawsuit.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of grab

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expropriate

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“Expropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expropriate. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of expropriate

verb

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