defection
noun
de·fec·tion
di-ˈfek-shən 
: conscious abandonment of allegiance or duty (as to a person, cause, or doctrine) : desertion
Examples of defection in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The House on Friday cleared a key procedural hurdle in passing foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, despite dozens of Republican defections, with Democrats helping Speaker Mike Johnson avoid a stinging defeat.
—
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024
The adaptation, by Emily Burns, has cut a comic character and increased the number of defections from Macbeth’s administration, and Fiennes, as if shocked by his character’s loneliness, finally begins to deliver his speeches with simultaneous introspection and command.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024
Trump also saw a significant number of defections during the state’s primary, with nearly 119,000 Republicans voting for someone other than him.
—Darlene Superville, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
While Trump still figures to win the vast majority of GOP voters, even a small number of defections could make a big difference in several swing states.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Erdogan’s party appeared to suffer from defections, including from an Islamist party that had criticized the Turkish leader for not breaking off economic ties with Israel during the war in Gaza and garnered more than 6 percent of the national vote.
—Kareem Fahim, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
The junta also needs manpower to replace losses and defections.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
If the royals are silent film stars, as British playwright Bonnie Greer once noted, their cast has been dramatically diminished after the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the defection of Prince Harry and Meghan to Montecito, plus the disgracing of Prince Andrew.
—Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
Kamala’s staff defection rate is so high that the Government Printing Office is bleeding more money than the U.S. Postal Service just printing new business cards for her replacement staff.
—Ron Hart, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024
The adaptation, by Emily Burns, has cut a comic character and increased the number of defections from Macbeth’s administration, and Fiennes, as if shocked by his character’s loneliness, finally begins to deliver his speeches with simultaneous introspection and command.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024
Trump also saw a significant number of defections during the state’s primary, with nearly 119,000 Republicans voting for someone other than him.
—Darlene Superville, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
While Trump still figures to win the vast majority of GOP voters, even a small number of defections could make a big difference in several swing states.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Erdogan’s party appeared to suffer from defections, including from an Islamist party that had criticized the Turkish leader for not breaking off economic ties with Israel during the war in Gaza and garnered more than 6 percent of the national vote.
—Kareem Fahim, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
The junta also needs manpower to replace losses and defections.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
If the royals are silent film stars, as British playwright Bonnie Greer once noted, their cast has been dramatically diminished after the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the defection of Prince Harry and Meghan to Montecito, plus the disgracing of Prince Andrew.
—Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
Kamala’s staff defection rate is so high that the Government Printing Office is bleeding more money than the U.S. Postal Service just printing new business cards for her replacement staff.
—Ron Hart, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defection.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Defection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defection. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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