usurp
verb (used with object)
to seize and hold (a position, office, power, etc.) by force or without legal right.
usurping
-
present participleof usurp.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
Apple had previously drawn close to usurping Nvidia by market value earlier this month.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Instead he adopts St. Augustine’s anthropology and depicts the new seekers of the City of Man usurping the old believers in the City of God.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Mutharika, who held the top job from 2014 to 2020, seems to have triumphed in last week's general election, usurping his long-time rival, President Lazarus Chakwera.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025
Because birth rates around the globe have been on the decline for more than a decade, trends in pet primacy are regularly framed as usurping the rightful role of human children.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2025
It would not do to make him feel as if his mother were usurping his place.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
