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confiscate

[kon-fuh-skayt, kuhn-fis-kit] / ˈkɒn fəˌskeɪt, kənˈfɪs kɪt /


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.

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He accused Swinney of trying to confiscate their business - a move he said had "incensed" owners.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

"This is an attack on my private ownership and my artist's work... if they confiscate it," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

The lawsuit alleges that Sheriff Robert Luna failed to confiscate Giandomenico’s phone after learning of the photos and tried to conceal from Nancy Lemus that the images existed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

In their book “Why Nations Fail,” Nobel Prize winners Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson wrote that “extractive” institutions concentrate power in the hands of an elite who then confiscate wealth from the rest of society.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

Would he confiscate or destroy the book that had taught Harry so much...the book that had become a kind of guide and friend?

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

It confiscates cellphones by the thousand and drones by the dozen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

For every dollar of effort you put in, the system confiscates 70 to 100 cents,” he says.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025

And he voted for a bill to strengthen a unique California program that confiscates guns from convicted felons who aren’t supposed to have them.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 4, 2022

The FBI comes back and confiscates the original devices, but not before Isaac made a copy of the hard drive.

From Fox News ● Oct. 15, 2020

She keeps a whole collection of the stuff she confiscates, and I don’t want my phone to be part of it.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Flores' lawyer Mark Donnelly suggested she be placed under house arrest with 24-hour armed surveillance, an electronic monitoring bracelet and that her passport be confiscated.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

Jonathan Greenberger, Politico’s global editor in chief, said in an email to staff Saturday that members of the Secret Service confiscated the pass of Cheyenne Haslett, a White House reporter for the outlet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

An MS NOW reporter and a photographer tried entering the White House grounds on Saturday morning, but their badges would not scan and an officer confiscated them, the outlet reported.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Klein similarly reported that her credential had been deactivated, while Politico said Haslett’s badge was confiscated.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Percy had no weapon - perhaps his sword had been confiscated or lost in the fighting - but he didn’t let that stop him.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in 1976, confiscating foreign assets, and again in 2007, impacting companies like Exxon.

From Barron's ● Jan. 18, 2026

Over the weekend, authorities began searching for and confiscating Starlink dishes in western Tehran, said Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at Miaan Group, a U.S. nonprofit opposed to internet censorship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026

The school may use the dashboard to identify rule-breakers in the future, but for now, teachers and staff are simply confiscating phones on sight, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025

Following the natural disaster, local law enforcement was assigned the task of confiscating guns, many of which officers say were stolen or found in abandoned homes.

From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2025

I should think a person confiscating an endangered species would certainly have to show a person his authority to take the bird.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George


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