confiscate
verb (used with object)
to seize as forfeited to the public domain; appropriate, by way of penalty, for public use.
had confiscated
-
past perfectof confiscate.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Here, Exxon Mobil was suing an entity affiliated with the Cuban government for using an oil refinery that the Cuban government had confiscated from Exxon in the 1990s.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy wrote on X that it had confiscated the vessels and guided them to Iran’s shore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
One woman from Adusah's church - who later gave a statement to UK police - said Charmain had secretly obtained a second phone because Adusah had confiscated her main one.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
In the three weeks after the school of roughly 1,400 students began using the Yondr pouches, Middleton said, the administration had confiscated about 15 phones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2025
They loaded their truck with all the things they had confiscated, including the bicycle that Qian had refused to lend them.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
