adueñarse

A reflexive-only verb meaning to take possession of or take over — often used figuratively for an emotion overwhelming someone: el miedo se adueñó de ella. Always used with de before its object; it has no non-reflexive form in modern use.

• La empresa se adueñó del mercado local. — The company took over the local market.
• El pánico se adueñó de la multitud. — Panic took hold of the crowd.
• Se adueñaron de la casa abandonada. — They took possession of the abandoned house.

Forgetting the obligatory de before the object — it's adueñarse de algo, never *adueñarse algo; dropping the preposition is the most common learner slip.

Often confused with apoderar.