oust

verb

ˈau̇st How to pronounce oust (audio)
Definition of oustnext
1
as in to eject
to drive or force out she was ousted from her job after it was proven she'd been pilfering company supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to depose
to remove from a position of prominence or power (as a throne) the people finally rose up and ousted the corrupt dictator

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to evict
to end the occupancy or possession of the squatters were forcibly ousted from the abandoned building

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb oust contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of oust are eject, evict, and expel. While all these words mean "to drive or force out," oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

When would eject be a good substitute for oust?

The words eject and oust can be used in similar contexts, but eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

In what contexts can evict take the place of oust?

The synonyms evict and oust are sometimes interchangeable, but evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

When might expel be a better fit than oust?

While the synonyms expel and oust are close in meaning, expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

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 oust According to Politico, the singer also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on an advertising campaign to oust prostatehood politicians. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2026 Seattle, thus, got a wild-card bye before ousting the 49ers 41-6 in the divisional round and then the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game. —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026 Eight people are seeking to oust Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez to represent District 1, which stretches from Glassell Park and Highland Park to Chinatown and Pico Union. —Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026 Its focus soon shifted to ousting dictator Slobodan Milosevic, using mass demonstrations and a general strike across the provinces to make its point. —Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oust
  1. eject
  2. depose
  3. evict
  4. out
  5. topple
  6. deprive
  7. banish
  8. unseat
Verb
  • Hornets players Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges, as well as Pistons’ Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, were all ejected from the game.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Midway through the fourth quarter, Lee was ejected and had to be restrained by Hornets guard Brandon Miller while yelling at officials for a no-call after Charlotte’s Grant Williams collided with Detroit’s Paul Reed.
    — Steve Reed, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of eject
Verb
  • Mangione is being held pretrial at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, alongside deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
    — Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Plaintiffs have sought to depose Wexner based on his service on OSU’s board of trustees during a period when Strauss was under internal investigation and when his full-time employment with the university was terminated.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Definition of depose
Verb
  • The tenant association voted to move to evict these women, their decision no less necessary for being sad.
    — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
  • But students are not allowed to evict them.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of evict
Verb
  • Of course, these posts outing Khan as a potential Twitter troll—this time anonymously as compared to the troll activity on his own account—led to harassing tweets from pro-AEW accounts.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The San Jose State controversy initially gained traction in conservative media outlets, including the website Reduxx, which outed the athlete before the 2024 season.
    — Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Definition of out
Verb
  • Bangladesh votes on Thursday in the first election since a Gen Z rebellion toppled an ageing autocrat – an uprising tens of millions of young people dreamt could chart a new course for their country.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The latest files are threatening to topple the UK prime minister, but the fallout in Washington has so far been limited.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of topple
Verb
  • They are accused of conspiring to deprive congregants of their religious rights and of interfering with access to a place of worship.
    — Samuel Oakford, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Too little oxygen, and phosphorus bonds with iron and is dragged into the core, depriving the surface of a key ingredient for DNA, cell membranes and energy transfer.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of deprive
Verb
  • Meanwhile, media outlets have begun reopening their airwaves to critical voices banished in recent years.
    — EGINA GARCIA CANO, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Cases are proliferating in a Mexican state that borders Texas, with the pest having escaped containment by an international eradication program that banished it for decades.
    — Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of banish
Verb
  • Three years ago, Brock Purdy was two wins and one elbow ligament away from unseating Roethlisberger, as a 49ers rookie at 23 years and 47 days on what might have been his Super Bowl debut.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
  • To sit still is to stagnate, which is to be unseated.
    — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Definition of unseat

Browse Nearby Words

ounces
oust
ousted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oust. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on oust

Nglish: Translation of oust for Spanish Speakers

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