as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
arrogated the corner office without obtaining prior approval
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Recent Examples of arrogate
Like Mao and Deng before him, Xi Jinping has arrogated to himself great power.
—
Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Politicians exist to spend, and Congress arrogated to itself what was left over after existing Social Security recipients were paid.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Trump arrogated to himself the authority to impose sweeping tariffs on the entire world, a power that properly belongs to Congress, and has caused turmoil throughout the economy; many economic indicators are now pointing in the wrong direction.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025
Disney arrogates those traits, skills, and experiences, essentially using modern female ideals to challenge traditional masculine ideals.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Dec. 2024
Back before the federal government arrogated to itself an outsize role as financier of college education, the Wayne States of the world were where ambitious people who didn’t have a lot of money, who wanted to save money on college, or both, got their degrees.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
In every period, the essence of politics has been that a tin-pot tsar who wants to arrogate to himself the right to personal, unaccountable power needs to intimidate the honest people who are not afraid of him.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
The Bibi Files uses a mix of talking-head history and in-the-room vérité to paint its picture of a leader who has arrogated power for corrupt and self-interested reasons — the allegations are of some $250,000 in gifts received in exchange for political favors — to his country’s detriment.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Instead of deferring to the people’s representatives, as the Founders intended, today originalists on the Supreme Court have arrogated power to themselves.
—Saul Cornell / Made By History, TIME, 26 July 2024
Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Politicians exist to spend, and Congress arrogated to itself what was left over after existing Social Security recipients were paid.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Trump arrogated to himself the authority to impose sweeping tariffs on the entire world, a power that properly belongs to Congress, and has caused turmoil throughout the economy; many economic indicators are now pointing in the wrong direction.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025
Disney arrogates those traits, skills, and experiences, essentially using modern female ideals to challenge traditional masculine ideals.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Dec. 2024
Back before the federal government arrogated to itself an outsize role as financier of college education, the Wayne States of the world were where ambitious people who didn’t have a lot of money, who wanted to save money on college, or both, got their degrees.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
In every period, the essence of politics has been that a tin-pot tsar who wants to arrogate to himself the right to personal, unaccountable power needs to intimidate the honest people who are not afraid of him.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
The Bibi Files uses a mix of talking-head history and in-the-room vérité to paint its picture of a leader who has arrogated power for corrupt and self-interested reasons — the allegations are of some $250,000 in gifts received in exchange for political favors — to his country’s detriment.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Instead of deferring to the people’s representatives, as the Founders intended, today originalists on the Supreme Court have arrogated power to themselves.
—Saul Cornell / Made By History, TIME, 26 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arrogate
Verb
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Yemen’s war began when the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
-
One media entrepreneur has already seized part of the Fyre opportunity.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Chinese leaders just haven’t marshaled the diplomatic and military muscle—still less the political will—to usurp America’s position as the world’s premier power.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
6 July 2025
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Season 2, after all, found Demi attempting to usurp Taylor Frankie Paul as the face of MomTok, trying (and failing) to turn the other women against her.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
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From 2022 through 2024, law enforcement officials in California confiscated 139,017 guns used in crimes with identifiable serial numbers, according to the DOJ’s crime guns report.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
12 July 2025
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No charges have been pressed against Stone, but her family said her phone was confiscated.—
Joey Safchik,
NBC news,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Order fish tacos or fresh salads at Bad Boy Burrito; grab at coffee at Cafe Moka; shop for clothing and gifts at Miss Monroe Boutique; and browse the open-air stalls at boo kee sue Botanics for handmade textiles, ceramics, and more.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
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Right after that treatment, Djokovic grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third set and was a point from going up 4-0.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Founded in 2006, the center had previously occupied a single, tiny room on the University Union’s first floor.—
Calista Oetama,
Sacbee.com,
11 July 2025
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Interrogating the ways different myths occupy their own unique spaces establishes pathways into existences of literary immortality, offering prisms into the art of storytelling.—
Irenosen Okojie
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Columbia University has offered $9 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by former students who claimed the university had submitted inaccurate data to U.S. News & World Report, according to the Columbia Spectator.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Suge Knight alleged that the rapper had pleaded with mom Afeni Shakur about ending his life, and Knight claims that Afeni gave him pills to assist in expediting that process.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arrogate. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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