as in deserting
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 defecting (from)
Verb
-
But Putin was not going to launch a new war against Turkey’s rebel allies just to save a petty dictator whose own soldiers were deserting.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Californians are abandoning the Golden State, chiefly because of high housing costs and finding better luck at becoming homeowners elsewhere, a new study found.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Safari shut down in 1978 after passengers kept abandoning their Jeeps mid-trip.—
Abbey Briscoe,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The same year, an appeals court said a lawsuit against Snapchat over a speed filter feature involved in deadly car crashes could proceed, rejecting the company's argument that the case should be thrown out on Section 230 grounds.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Union leaders said negotiations have stalled for months, and are accusing BP of rejecting their proposals on jobs, pay, and safety.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If this is the case, then cutting off the water supply to this waterfall — to fill a dam or for irrigation, which happens — could harm the fish.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Retail connections faded as foot traffic disappeared, cutting off communication with buyers.—
J.M. Banks
March 21,
Kansas City Star,
21 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
“Defecting (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defecting%20%28from%29. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
