unseat

verb

un·​seat ˌən-ˈsēt How to pronounce unseat (audio)
unseated; unseating; unseats

transitive verb

1
: to dislodge from one's seat especially on horseback
2
: to remove from a place or position
especially : to remove from political office

Examples of unseat in a Sentence

He unseated an incumbent senator. The horse bucked and unseated its rider.
Recent Examples on the Web Now the 51-year-old, who has written four books on politics, is running for Congress and aiming to unseat Republican incumbent Nick LaLota in a battle for New York’s 1st Congressional District. Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Can Nathan Hochman unseat him as D.A.? Climate and environment The Arctic Ocean could be ‘ice-free’ within the decade, researchers warn. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 At the district-level, Charles Osborne picked up notable endorsements and donations in his quest to unseat longtime District 2 Commissioner Vilma Leake. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 Finding a way to lower the price point of EVs is also important to Tesla, which is in a global price war with other automakers that are going all in on EVs and threaten to unseat Musk’s company as the world’s top vendor of electrics. Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 31 Jan. 2024 Really, the group is actually looking for someone to perform media stunts to try to unseat Van Orden, a first-term Republican? Daniel Bice, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Earlier this year, a group of Michigan Republicans voted to unseat Karamo and elected former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra as their new chair. USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024 The week’s biggest stories Politics and elections Candidates trying to unseat L.A. County Dist. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Like Zuko, Azula is desperate for the attention of their domineering father, pushing her fiery powers to the limit and scheming ways to unseat her brother. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unseat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unseat was in 1596

Dictionary Entries Near unseat

Cite this Entry

“Unseat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unseat. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unseat

verb
un·​seat ˌən-ˈsēt How to pronounce unseat (audio)
ˈən-
1
: to throw from one's seat especially on horseback
2
: to remove from a place or position
especially : to remove from political office

More from Merriam-Webster on unseat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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