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Synonyms

hostile takeover

American  

noun

Business.
  1. a takeover that is not approved by the management of the corporation being acquired or that is accomplished through the secret purchase of stock.


Etymology

Origin of hostile takeover

First recorded in 1970–75

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.

See Examples For:

Commerzbank has cut thousands of jobs in moves widely seen as a bid to boost shareholder returns and defend its independence against UniCredit's hostile takeover.

From Barron's Jul. 10, 2026

Undeterred, Paramount chief executive David Ellison launched a hostile takeover bid, taking his suit directly to shareholders.

From BBC Feb. 10, 2026

After the Netflix deal was announced, Paramount launched a hostile takeover offer for Warner.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 17, 2026

Paramount has countered by launching a hostile takeover effort, but has yet to up its offer.

From MarketWatch Jan. 12, 2026

If there was ever a moment to declare you like someone, it was with a churro in your hand and a day of protesting a greedy land developer’s hostile takeover of your neighborhood behind you.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

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