Synonyms of supplant

supplant

verb

sə-ˈplant 

as in to replace

to take the place of

old traditions that were fading away and being supplanted by modern ways

Synonyms & Similar Words

• replace
• supersede
• substitute
• displace
• relieve
• usurp
• displant
• preempt
• cut out

Synonym Chooser

How is the word supplant distinct from other similar verbs?

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

When is it sensible to use displace instead of supplant?

Although the words displace and supplant have much in common, displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When could replace be used to replace supplant?

In some situations, the words replace and supplant are roughly equivalent. However, replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

When can supersede be used instead of supplant?

The words supersede and supplant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of supplant

Almost all its gasoline is imported, making gas expensive and scarce; in many parts of the countryside, bicycles and horse carts have supplanted cars. —Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

That idea has more recently been supplanted by the concept of bidirectional assimilation, the theory that just as immigrants adapt to their new country, its institutions adapt to them. —Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2025

Atterholt said the fiber optic sensing technology would not supplant traditional seismometers, but would supplement what data already exists and would be less expensive than installing seismometers on the seafloor. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025

Both players should tangibly improve the club's offensive optionality under new head coach Mike Brown, who supplants fellow former two-time Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau. —Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025