as in to desert
to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another
soldiers defected from the rebel army en masse as the failure of their cause became apparent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defect (from)
Verb
-
Bored with his tedious job, flattened by a wife (Phoebe Cates) who has cavalierly deserted him, the spry little guy is feeling the punches.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026 -
In the harsh afternoon sun, it was deserted except for dogs dozing on the rocks, and lovers seeking a shred of privacy.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Administrator Crystal Ruth switches on dozens of heat lamps that radiate a yellow hue to warm at least 80 disabled, abandoned or formerly abused animals that call the rescue home.—
Julian Camejo,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
It sat abandoned until 1969, when a group of Native American activists occupied the island and remained there for the next two years, according to NPS.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Olsson rejects The Athletic’s offer to take cover inside the coffee shop.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Last week, for example, the UK government rejected plans by a Chinese company, Ming Yang, to invest in a Scottish factory to produce wind turbine blades, citing national security reasons.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The perch is a little too small for bigger birds like mourning doves, and my voracious flock of starlings is often cut off.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Resistance is likely to be strongest among European governments, still shocked by Beijing’s threats last year to cut off supplies of rare earths — essential for clean tech — and worried about further hollowing out their own green industries.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Defect (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defect%20%28from%29. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
