unseat

verb

un·​seat ˌən-ˈsēt 

unseated; unseating; unseats

transitive verb

1

: to dislodge from one's seat especially on horseback

2

: to remove from a place or position

especially : to remove from political office

Synonyms of unseat

• depose
• topple
• dethrone

Examples of unseat in a Sentence

He unseated an incumbent senator.

The horse bucked and unseated its rider.

Recent Examples on the Web

Seven years after the defeat, Jones, who had relocated to Virginia, ran but lost in his bid to unseat incumbent Republican Eric Cantor for a seat to serve the 7th District of the state. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Three additional primary candidates ran to unseat Case in the reliably Democratic district. — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026

Defeating Collins, a five-term incumbent who has survived other efforts by Democrats to unseat her, will not be easy. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Hatcher spent $615,000 in his bid to unseat Ogles, while the incumbent spent $617,000, according to the candidates’ latest campaign filings. — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unseat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

unseat

verb

un·​seat ˌən-ˈsēt 

ˈən-

1

: to throw from one's seat especially on horseback

2

: to remove from a place or position

especially : to remove from political office