banish

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of banish That plan goes badly, resulting in Gabriel being banished to Earth to reside among us mortals. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025 Disruption and sadness shall be banished. Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025 As for banishing, those shiny black leggings—the rock chic sort that look PVC but aren’t. Olivia Allen, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025 The formula blends barrier-repairing ceramides, moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid, and soothing niacinamide to calm the scalp, banish flakes, and lock in hydration. Annie Blackman, Allure, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for banish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banish
Verb
  • Dharamshala is best known internationally as the seat of the Dalai Lama, who has been based there since being exiled from Tibet in 1959.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
  • As details of Prince Andrew's past correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein continue to surface, royal experts claim King Charles III is facing mounting pressure from family members to exile his brother as fear of the monarchy's demise lingers.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Carly was outed as the niece of Hanks in the premiere by fellow contestant Hugo after her ties to fame were hinted at with a park bench — from Hanks' iconic movie Forrest Gump — earlier in the show.
    Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Yesavage would’ve likely contributed to a Game 5 outing back in Toronto, but the Jays ensured that wasn’t required with a 5-2 win over the Yankees.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • At the end of the following season, they were relegated on the final day courtesy of defeat at Arsenal, where Wright was among the scorers.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Social media is abuzz with rumors that Disney theme parks might not keep villains around the parks year-round and would instead be relegated to the Halloween season.
    James Factora, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Venables was dismissed early in the next campaign following three straight defeats, but Lineker went on to net another 20 times that season, helping win the Copa del Rey under Luis Aragones.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Court rules don't allow plaintiffs to submit additional evidence to counter a motion to dismiss, Alex said.
    Paul Egan, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • To remove or deport someone from the country?
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Trujillo pointed to efforts to deport Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, as well as the detention of Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Matthew Hubble, 37, of Brookland, Arkansas, was out on a boat with friends when he was ejected.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
  • In Mali, French forces were ejected in 2022 after battling Islamist terror groups for nine years.
    Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In mid-August, the building’s owner filed a lawsuit seeking to evict Settle from the property.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Like many of the other eight places on the strip, the International House of Pancakes — yes, this location is listed that way in state records — couldn’t evict its small, four-legged, furry friends.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Jays capitalized on the Dodgers’ weak middle relief after chasing starter Blake Snell in the sixth inning to bust open a massive lead.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • At Longy, while classmates entered competitions and chased prestigious symphony positions, Wasefi spoke of returning to Afghanistan’s provinces to teach music.
    Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Banish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banish. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

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