oust

verb

\ˈau̇st

ousted; ousting; ousts

Definition of oust

1a : to remove from or dispossess of property or position by legal action, by force, or by the compulsion of necessity The rebels ousted the dictator from power.

b : to take away (something, such as a right or authority) : bar, remove The states do not like attempts by Congress to oust their jurisdiction.

2 : to take the place of : supplant must be careful that quantity does not oust quality— R. V. Williams

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about oust

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Choose the Right Synonym for oust

eject, expel, oust, evict mean to drive or force out. eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action. ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical. a student expelled from college oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion. police ousted the squatters evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home. evicted for nonpayment of rent

Examples of oust in a Sentence

The rebels ousted the dictator from power. Large national banks are ousting local banks in many communities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Sorrell’s former company, WPP, which ousted him over alleged misconduct, also wanted to buy MediaMonks. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Xiaomi Surge, Trade War and Tesla, Uber and Lime: CEO Daily for July 10, 2018," 10 July 2018 One risk is that Mrs. May faces a bid to oust her as leader by the anti-EU wing of her party. — Jason Douglas, WSJ, "Deciphering Brexit: Q&A on the Latest Twists and Turns," 10 July 2018 Shine spent 14 months off the public grid after Fox ousted him. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "Former Fox executive Bill Shine joins White House as communications chief," 5 July 2018 Spacey became one of the first actors ousted from Hollywood as part of the #MeToo movement after revelations about Harvey Weinstein. — Anna Millard, refinery29.com, "Kevin Spacey Accused Of Sexual Assault By 3 More Men," 4 July 2018 In 1916, armed with this critical information, Kettering rushed to the office of Billy Durant, who had just wrested control of General Motors back from the bankers who had ousted him years earlier. — star-telegram, "Gasoline: Pump Us Up?," 28 Apr. 2018 After a closed-door vote failed to oust her, three male members behind the push – Klas Östergren, Kjell Espmark, and Peter Englund – themselves resigned. — David Keyton And Jan M. Olsen, The Christian Science Monitor, "After sex-abuse scandal, protesters demand change on Nobel literature prize board," 20 Apr. 2018 The Missouri Supreme Court, which conducted the subsequent trial, convicted her of all three and ousted her from office. — CBS News, "Impeaching embattled Missouri governor could be an uphill legal battle," 17 Apr. 2018 The estrangement became so wide that the secretary had recently been conducting his own crisis communications effort via his personal cell phone, telling reporters that there were political staffers working to oust him. — Maegan Vazquez, CNN, "Shulkin blasts 'toxic, chaotic, disrespectful' Washington in farewell op-ed," 29 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oust.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.