as in deserted
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defected (from)
Verb
-
For 80 years the lighthouse sat deserted.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026 -
But that scoring has deserted them at an inopportune time.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But later that month, after several employees talked about quitting, the plan was abandoned.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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On Israel, which fringes on both the Left and the Right have increasingly abandoned, Gallego questioned those who want to defund defensive support to the Middle Eastern nation.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tobolowsky previously rejected motions from other Gateway elders, ruling that the suit was not a religious issue and could be handled in secular court.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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My first preference was always the path of diplomacy, yet the regime continued their relentless quest for nuclear weapons and rejected every attempt at an agreement.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Defected (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defected%20%28from%29. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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