as in to evict
to end the occupancy or possession of
opponents of gentrification claim that the process unfairly dispossesses poorer residents of their long-established homes
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Recent Examples of dispossess
But in the next 30 years, the people who will bear the brunt of that catastrophe—who will be dispossessed, uprooted, and exposed to the worst of the elements—will be those who are already on the other side of society’s walls.
—
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
For me, the flashback is suggestive but not conclusive — maybe Arthur’s genuinely confused about the identity of the man in his house, or maybe this is his chance at revenge against the white men who have continually dispossessed his family and his people.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Like Dunbar’s speakers, Hughes’s dispossessed have no way out, and the poem implicitly refutes optimism regarding the Great Migration and racial progress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
As with the enclosures in England and Scotland, villagers were uprooted and dispossessed to make way for sheep and cattle.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispossess
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
For me, the flashback is suggestive but not conclusive — maybe Arthur’s genuinely confused about the identity of the man in his house, or maybe this is his chance at revenge against the white men who have continually dispossessed his family and his people.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Like Dunbar’s speakers, Hughes’s dispossessed have no way out, and the poem implicitly refutes optimism regarding the Great Migration and racial progress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
As with the enclosures in England and Scotland, villagers were uprooted and dispossessed to make way for sheep and cattle.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispossess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispossess
Verb
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Tenants also shared their stories about being evicted without cause.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
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According to The New York Times, Kanarek also claimed Barisone tried to evict her and Goodwin, and both parties accused each other of bullying.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In addition to depriving the government, the scam also hurt small businesses that needed access to government funds to avoid shutting their doors and laying off employees at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, DHS said.—
Preston Mizell , Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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The settlement, which was approved Monday by a San Diego federal judge, marks the first time ever that a university will pay for allegedly depriving female student-athletes of equal athletic financial aid.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispossess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossess. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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