power grab
Aggressive authority takeover
A power grab is an aggressive move to seize authority or control, often beyond what's legitimate or expected.
The term implies opportunism—exploiting a crisis, vacancy, or weakness to consolidate influence: Critics called the emergency decree a naked power grab.
It suggests the grabber is overreaching rather than earning authority through proper channels.
- putschForcible government overthrow attempt
- coupAbrupt seizure of power
- usurpationWrongful seizure of power
- machinationsCrafty scheming toward goals
- behind closed doorsIn private, unobserved
seizure · seize control · overthrow · takeover · hostile takeover · despotism · overreach · executive overreach · coup d'état · centralization · tyranny · autocracy · regime change · show of strength · authoritarianism · strong man rule · dictator · influence
- conquestwar of conquest, capture, invasion, domination, subjugation
- dominancedominance, dominant, supremacy, superiority, ascendancy
- takeovertakeover, take over, seizure, coup d'etat, hostile takeover
- taking chargeleading, commanding, directing, managing, captaining
- takes chargecontrols, manages, directs, leads, commands
- aggressive tacticsblitz, blitzkrieg, frontal assault, offensive, attack mode
power grabdemocratic transition
Shift from autocracy to elected rule
popular vote · due process · consent of the governed · democratic process · rule of law
power grababdication
Formal surrender of power
resignation · power sharing · stepping down · devolution · decentralization
power, grab, potential, empower, potent, impotent, potency, empowered, empowering