pre-empt
Britishverb
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(tr) to acquire in advance of or to the exclusion of others; appropriate
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(tr) to occupy (public land) in order to acquire a prior right to purchase
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(intr) bridge to make a high opening bid, often on a weak hand, to shut out opposition bidding
Other Word Forms
Vocabulary lists containing pre-empt
2014 Vocabulary Video Contest (M-Z)
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 3
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Vocab Video Contest (2016) - List 5
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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.
Companies have had mixed opinions about the ingredient regulatory effort, since some have pushed Congress to pass rules that could pre-empt a patchwork of state laws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
So rather than get upset every time that happens, it’s better to pre-empt the accidents with as much detailed preparation as possible.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Lisa Nandy said she would not pre-empt Starmer's announcement but said it was "how, not whether, we better protect children online".
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
But Mr. Durnell argues that only the federal law—not regulation taken by EPA under the law—can pre-empt state claims, though there’s no practical difference in this case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
For weeks the city had been filling up with boomers on their way to pre-empt land within the confines of Oklahoma as soon as it became possible to do so.
From The Boy Land Boomer Dick Arbuckle's Adventures in Oklahoma by W. H. Fry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
