exorcise
verb
ex·or·cise
ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsīz 
-sər-
-sər-
variants
or less commonly exorcize
exorcised also exorcized; exorcising also exorcizing
1
a
: to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration
b
: to get rid of (something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive)
2
: to free of an evil spirit
exorciser
noun
Examples of exorcise in a Sentence
The movie is about a priest who tries to exorcise demons from a young girl.
please exorcise that offensive word from your vocabulary
Recent Examples on the Web
Pogačar has already exorcised his demons on Hautacam, winning the summit finish on stage 12 and taking two minutes and ten seconds on Jonas Vingegaard, who beat Pogačar on the climb three years ago to seal his 2022 Tour de France win.
—
Sophie Kaufman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Many framed the arson wave as an extension of the riots of the Sixties, alleging that black incendiaries had burned their own homes to collect welfare or to exorcise some pathology.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
And the Nuggets now have to exorcise the demons of last year’s Game 7 against Minnesota.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Months before, Stevens feared President Johnson was pursuing a Reconstruction program that would readmit Confederate states to the Union without them exorcising the demon that animated secession.
—Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for exorcise
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Sophie Kaufman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Many framed the arson wave as an extension of the riots of the Sixties, alleging that black incendiaries had burned their own homes to collect welfare or to exorcise some pathology.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
And the Nuggets now have to exorcise the demons of last year’s Game 7 against Minnesota.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Months before, Stevens feared President Johnson was pursuing a Reconstruction program that would readmit Confederate states to the Union without them exorcising the demon that animated secession.
—Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for exorcise
Cite this Entry
“Exorcise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exorcise. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exorcise
verb
ex·or·cise
ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsīz
-sər-
exorcised; exorcising
: to drive (as an evil spirit) off by calling upon some holy name or by spells
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