Synonyms of banish

banish

verb

ˈba-nish 

1

as in to exile

to force to leave a country

in the old days, criminals were sometimes banished to distant lands

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exile
• relegate
• deport
• evict
• transport
• eliminate
• displace
• expel
• dismiss
• exclude
• expatriate
• eject
• run out
• cast out
• oust
• spurn
• kick out
• ostracize
• excommunicate
• reject
• repudiate
• expulse
• dispossess
• throw out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• receive
• accept
• admit
• repatriate
• naturalize
• take in
• entertain
• shelter
• harbor
• house

2

as in to out

to drive or force out

permanently banished the troublemakers from the youth recreational center

Synonyms & Similar Words

• out
• dismiss
• eject
• chase
• expel
• remove
• evict
• oust
• cast out
• kick out
• extrude
• drum (out)
• sack
• run off
• rout
• boot (out)
• turf (out)
• throw out
• turn out
• bounce
• ostracize
• exile
• send packing
• fire
• dispossess
• give one the gate
• shut out
• deport
• displace
• read out
• can
• terminate
• expatriate
• deforce
• pink-slip
• retire
• ax
• muster out
• defenestrate
• discharge
• release
• cashier

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• receive
• accept
• take
• admit
• take in
• welcome
• entertain
• shelter
• house
• harbor
• lodge

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb banish contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of banish are deport, exile, and transport. While all these words mean "to remove by authority from a state or country," banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own.

banished for seditious activities

When is it sensible to use deport instead of banish?

The synonyms deport and banish are sometimes interchangeable, but deport implies sending out of the country an alien who has illegally entered or whose presence is judged inimical to the public welfare.

illegal aliens will be deported

When would exile be a good substitute for banish?

Although the words exile and banish have much in common, exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country.

a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

In what contexts can transport take the place of banish?

In some situations, the words transport and banish are roughly equivalent. However, transport implies sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony.

a convict who was transported to Australia

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of banish

Meanwhile, media outlets have begun reopening their airwaves to critical voices banished in recent years. —Egina Garcia Cano, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026

Both teams quickly banished any thoughts of a repeat on Saturday. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2026

Cases are proliferating in a Mexican state that borders Texas, with the pest having escaped containment by an international eradication program that banished it for decades. —Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026

Tiffany is also someone who’s had words for you on social media after she was banished from the show. —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 6 Feb. 2026