This is the 4093rd most frequent French word.
confisquer
To seize or take away.
In this sentence, 'confisquer' is used to denote the action performed by the teacher to temporarily take away something (the phone) due to it being against the rules.
L'enseignant a dû confisquer le téléphone de l'élève pendant le cours.
The teacher had to confiscate the student's phone during the class.
Here, 'confisquer' signifies an official or legal act of permanently taking possession of someone's belongings due to criminal activity or violations.
Les autorités ont confisqué les biens du contrebandier.
The authorities confiscated the smuggler's property.
In this context, 'confisquer' is employed to describe a disciplinary action by individuals (parents) to temporarily take away an item as a form of punishment.