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 After Rollins was ousted from the group, there's no word on what plans could be going forward. Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 The Administration also ousted Black officials from leadership roles in the civil service, replacing them with white appointees. Time, 14 Oct. 2025 Born in Santiago, Chile, in 1948, Vicuña was exiled from her native country in the early 1970s following the violent military coup that ousted President Salvador Allende. News Desk, Artforum, 10 Oct. 2025 Who, by ousting the dictator, were already setting up a new system of corruption and oppression. Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oust
Verb
  • Branch was ejected in a game against Green Bay in 2024 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on running back Bo Melton.
    Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The pop star has not publicly commented on what happened, but local police confirmed to ABC News that the aggressive concertgoer was immediately ejected from the Kaseya Center.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Baldoni, 41, has also been deposed.
    Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Manuel Noriega, the former dictator of Panama, spent time there following his extradition from the United States after the American invasion that deposed him.
    Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In mid-August, the building’s owner filed a lawsuit seeking to evict Settle from the property.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Like many of the other eight places on the strip, the International House of Pancakes — yes, this location is listed that way in state records — couldn’t evict its small, four-legged, furry friends.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Kate — who is known for recycling outfits, often years apart — debuted the piece during a January 2020 visit to Bradford Town Hall before reusing the coat at the royal family's Christmas church outing in 2022.
    Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Yesavage would’ve likely contributed to a Game 5 outing back in Toronto, but the Jays ensured that wasn’t required with a 5-2 win over the Yankees.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Hawks will be hosting, but are faced with a tall order, looking to topple an undefeated Catholic Memorial (5-0) squad.
    Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Among Democrats who have announced bids to topple Kiley, Nevada County Supervisor Heidi Hall’s report showed her with $137,896 on hand and $20,000 as debt.
    Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Poverty does more than deprive people of resources.
    Scott Ellis, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Officials say there were no survivors inside the facility, depriving investigators of crucial eyewitness accounts of the final moments leading up to the explosion.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Disruption and sadness shall be banished.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
  • As for banishing, those shiny black leggings—the rock chic sort that look PVC but aren’t.
    Olivia Allen, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Amid Suarez’s efforts to unseat Dominguez, allies have rushed to her defense.
    Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
  • But Democrats will also want to consider who will give them the best chance to unseat Collins, the only Republican senator up for reelection next year in a state that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris last November.
    Jared Gans, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oust. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on oust

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!