usurp
verb (used with object)
to seize and hold (a position, office, power, etc.) by force or without legal right.
usurps
-
present tense formof usurp (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
A clairvoyant slowly usurps the estate of a distinguished Viennese family by selling them her dreams.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2023
For one, outsourcing art selections to company execs usurps the role of museum curators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2022
It usurps the previous record-holder, found in a 5,000-year-old Scandinavian mass grave associated with a possible plague epidemic.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 16, 2021
Humbly, she understood that death sometimes usurps small liberties.
From Slate ● May 16, 2020
In some ways, she thinks he usurps what should be her role.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
