exorcise
verb
-sər-\
Definition of exorcise
1a : to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration
b : to get rid of (something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive)
2 : to free of an evil spirit
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Synonyms for exorcise
Synonyms
cashier, cast (off), chuck, discard, ditch, dump, fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off) , throw away, throw out, toss, unload
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Examples of exorcise in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Soviet Union, a global superpower, disintegrated, and the specter of communism was exorcised from the continent. — Jonathan Bradley, Billboard, "Dream Up the World You're Gonna Live In: How U2's 'Zooropa' Got the Future Wrong, 25 Years Later," 5 July 2018 In the past, Williams has often looked to be exorcising personal demons in the latter stages of major tournaments — the power in her strokes matched by the fire in her eyes. — Christopher Clarey, New York Times, "Serena Williams, Enjoying Every Moment, Is Back in the Wimbledon Final," 12 July 2018 The Selecao, meanwhile, have failed to exorcise the demons of 2014, falling short again in their attempts to reclaim their status as football's greatest with this latest loss. — SI.com, "Neymar Dives, Belgium High-Fives & Lukaku Thrives - Twitter Reacts to Incredible World Cup Clash," 6 July 2018 But at least one lingering demon may have been exorcised. — Massimo Calabresi, Time, "With Justice Kennedy Gone, It's Trump's Court Now," 28 June 2018 Never has exorcising an ex's ghost looked so gleeful and oddly romantic. — Lisa Bonos, chicagotribune.com, "Can smashing a car heal a broken heart? The best, worst and weirdest moments from 'The Bachelorette'," 5 June 2018 Shugart exorcised his demons between innings and emerged from the dugout a new man. — Nick Moyle, Houston Chronicle, "Kody Clemens' walkoff homer lifts UT over TCU," 18 May 2018 Shugart exorcised his demons between innings and returned with an altered deamanor. — Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, "Clemens’ game-winning homer lifts Texas over TCU," 18 May 2018 The win also exorcised the demons of the U.S.’s upset loss to Qatar eight years ago in the bid to host World Cup 2022. — Grant Wahl, SI.com, "World Cup 2026 Vote Provides the Jolt U.S. Soccer Sorely Needed," 13 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exorcise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for exorcise
exorcise
verb
English Language Learners Definition of exorcise
: to force (an evil spirit) to leave
See the full definition for exorcise in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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