defect (from)

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
  • Never desert a blaze: Avoid leaving any fire unattended.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2025
  • His movement to the ball was electric as Alcaraz’s drop shot touch deserted him.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Elliott likewise pressed Hyundai to abandon its own restructuring effort and increase its dividend, again using financial discipline as a wedge to improve governance and transparency.
    Marc Cooper, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
  • More than 55 years ago, three astronauts en route to the moon had to abandon their dreams of reaching the lunar surface when their spacecraft encountered some serious trouble.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 July 2025
Verb
  • In September 2024, Arsenal fielded a late enquiry for Trossard from Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad, but the offer came too late for Arsenal to source a replacement, so it was rejected.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 29 July 2025
  • Israel has strongly rejected claims that the country is perpetuating a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
    Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • Charron, 39, was found guilty of first-degree murder in April in connection with the death of Sardinha, 25, who was stabbed twice in the chest and nearly had her nose cut off on Sept. 2, 2020, in her apartment in Huntington Beach, KTLA reported.
    Christine Pelisek, People.com, 28 July 2025
  • Hunger in Gaza escalated after Israel cut off supplies in March.
    Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 27 July 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defect (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defect%20%28from%29. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!