BANISH Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

banish

verb

ˈba-nish

Definition of banish

as in to exile

to force to leave a country in the old days, criminals were sometimes banished to distant lands

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to out

to drive or force out permanently banished the troublemakers from the youth recreational center

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Any doubts over whether that deal would be concluded would have been banished as soon as Riad was taken off. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Since then, the former Duke of York has been effectively banished from royal life, including the Firm’s annual Christmas gathering at Sandringham. — Emma Banks, InStyle, 21 Aug. 2026 Plus a few other wackadoodles banished from labels, serving out their sentences in our nuthouse. — Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 Rhaenyra also makes the drastic decision of relieving Mysaria of her duties as master of whispers and banishing her from King’s Landing. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for banish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for banish

Verb

Located in Jerusalem, al-Wasiti became, for years, the place to visit, empowering Palestinian artists exiled all over the world to return to a fountain of unity and belonging.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
This thriller centers on disgraced or damaged agents of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service who have been exiled to a remote Greek island.

— Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of exile

Verb

Designers are making the claim that the humble sweater, long relegated to serving as a convenient layer beneath tailoring and outerwear, can also be the main attraction.

— Jon Roth, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2026
Despite the victory, they were still relegated to Spain’s second division, but the strike was nominated for the club’s goal of the year award for 2025.

— Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of relegate

Verb

Third, Whyte and others dismiss our conclusion because many of the studies examining AI in medicine are simulations.

— Abe Baker-Butler, STAT, 9 Sep. 2026
If the case is not settled, dismissed or dropped before the trial date, it would be heard during the 2028 presidential primary elections.

— Violet Jira, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismiss

Verb

Federal authorities have arrested and sought to deport pro-Palestinian activists, actions that judges have deemed a First Amendment violation.

— BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
People who’d been in America for decades have been deported back to home countries that are hardly home.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of deport

Verb

The affair resulted in Attila’s breakup, the (temporary) end of his best-friendship, and Joel getting evicted from Small’s house.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2026
That meant the vote came down to either Lala or ally Taylor Brown, and the house elected to evict LaTrice by a vote of 4-2.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of evict

Verb

In the here and now, Kuss is still chasing a stage win at the ongoing Vuelta, a task made more difficult by his presence in the podium fight until midway through the second week.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Five weeks ago, in a two-minute drill during practice, Mahomes scrambled on fourth down but couldn’t evade a 300-pound rookie defensive tackle chasing after him.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of chase

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bang up

banish

banished

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“Banish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banish. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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