displace

verb

(ˌ)dis-ˈplās How to pronounce displace (audio)
Definition of displacenext
1
as in to remove
to change the place or position of the slight tremor displaced the dishes on the shelves, but didn't do any real damage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to relegate
to force to leave a country World War II displaced people all over Europe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to replace
to take the place of inefficient methods displaced by newer ones

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to depose
to remove from a position of prominence or power (as a throne) the CEO was summarily displaced after the hostile takeover

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word displace distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of displace are replace, supersede, and supplant. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When can replace be used instead of displace?

The synonyms replace and displace are sometimes interchangeable, but replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

When is supersede a more appropriate choice than displace?

In some situations, the words supersede and displace are roughly equivalent. However, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

In what contexts can supplant take the place of displace?

While the synonyms supplant and displace are close in meaning, supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.

was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of displace The impact on aid The U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday that since Israel resumed military operations in March, 640,000 Palestinians have been displaced. —Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 June 2025 Gordon, 24, was brilliant for Newcastle in 2023-24, but last season was laborious from the start, with the England player unsettled by summer interest from Liverpool, then suspended for the cup final, before struggling to displace Barnes. —Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 June 2025 That’s when thousands of people displaced from Hurricane Andrew in South Miami-Dade began new lives in the suburbs of South Broward. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025 Herons that nested nearby in trees by the Chicago History Museum since at least 2014 were displaced when construction began in 2021 for a trail nearby. —Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for displace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for displace
  1. remove
  2. relegate
  3. replace
  4. depose
  5. relocate
  6. banish
  7. supersede
  8. topple
Verb
  • Backstage at Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar, a popular LGBTQ club in Wilton Manors, Jacob Smith carefully removed his gravity-defying, bejeweled blonde wig and light pink costume.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
  • Windshields of cars were shattered, bulldozers were removing rubble.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 14 June 2025
Definition of remove
Verb
  • This relegated him to being an 82-game player rather than a 16-game one, which limited his value to prospective teams.
    — Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Sourcing in this mode is even less robust; Google relegates sources to clickable carets that don’t highlight the relevant portions of its response.
    — Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Definition of relegate
Verb
  • Solid Combustion Experiment Module — Onishi also replaced the sample cartridges for an ongoing fire experiment in Japan's Kibo laboratory, which is aimed at improving the safety of spacecraft and anywhere else astronauts may live when off Earth.
    — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 14 June 2025
  • The Eagles need to replace Milton Williams, who logged 501 snaps last season.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 13 June 2025
Definition of replace
Verb
  • The district court granted most of CREW's request for information, including deposing Gleason.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 23 May 2025
  • Also in 1973, the Chilean military, with the C.I.A.’s help, deposed Chile’s president, Salvador Allende, and inaugurated what became a 17-year dictatorship.
    — Lily Meyer, The Dial, 20 May 2025
Definition of depose
Verb
  • The police department will relocate to a facility in a 950-space parking garage being built on the east side of campus.
    — Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2025
  • The New York Racing Association temporarily relocated it there while Belmont Park on Long Island undergoes nearly half-a-billion dollars in renovations.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 June 2025
Definition of relocate
Verb
  • Negan banished him and seized control of the Dama’s minions.
    — Charlie Mason, TVLine, 8 June 2025
  • Abbas has imprisoned or banished any possible rivals for power.
    — Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Definition of banish
Verb
  • Moreover, this isn’t just another limit that will be superseded by the next generation of AI.
    — Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • The hope was for federal legislation that would supersede the more than 30 individual state laws that have made governance in college sports nearly impossible.
    — Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2025
Definition of supersede
Verb
  • Sabalenka had toppled the Polish star Iga Swiatek, winner of the past three consecutive French Opens, in the semifinal.
    — NPR, NPR, 7 June 2025
  • Any shift on the key issues could topple the high-wire act needed to please House and Senate Republicans.
    — Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 7 June 2025
Definition of topple

Browse Nearby Words

dispirits
displace
displaceable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Displace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/displace. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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