Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun pre-empt

1 sense of pre-empt

Sense 1
preemptive bid, pre-empt, preempt -- (a high bid that is intended to prevent the opposing players from bidding)
       => bid, bidding -- ((bridge) the number of tricks a bridge player is willing to contract to make)
                                                                         

Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb pre-empt

4 senses of preempt

Sense 1
preempt -- (acquire for oneself before others can do so)
       => get, acquire -- (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract; "She got a lot of paintings from her uncle"; "They acquired a new pet"; "Get your results the next day"; "Get permission to take a few days off from work")

Sense 2
preempt, displace -- (take the place of or have precedence over; "live broadcast of the presidential debate preempts the regular news hour"; "discussion of the emergency situation will preempt the lecture by the professor")
       => supplant, replace, supersede, supervene upon, supercede -- (take the place or move into the position of; "Smith replaced Miller as CEO after Miller left"; "the computer has supplanted the slide rule"; "Mary replaced Susan as the team's captain and the highest-ranked player in the school")

Sense 3
preempt -- (gain possession of by prior right or opportunity, especially so as to obtain the right to buy (land))
       => get, acquire -- (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract; "She got a lot of paintings from her uncle"; "They acquired a new pet"; "Get your results the next day"; "Get permission to take a few days off from work")

Sense 4
preempt -- (make a preemptive bid in the game of bridge)
       => bid, call -- (make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands; "He called his trump")