1
as in exiling
to force to leave a country
in the old days, criminals were sometimes banished to distant lands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismissing
to drive or force out
permanently banished the troublemakers from the youth recreational center
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 banishing
This year’s sequel climaxes with Grace hijacking her second wedding to a Satanic heir by killing him and banishing his oligarchical cabal to hell.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
Latz has picked up the past four saves for Texas, banishing Jakob Junis to a supporting role.
—Andy Behrens, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Angels could be seen all around — some on the walls depicting Moses' life and death, and another above, on Michelangelo’s fresco, banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Was banishing Natalie Anderson Tara’s ultimate undoing?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Imagine banishing stuffed animals from the living room, corralling all the toy cars outside the main bedroom, and finally finding a place for that play kitchen that isn’t your actual kitchen.
—Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 11 Feb. 2026
Should the punishment be a life sentence banishing Belichick from the Hall?
—Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
Dell is her stream's dungeon master, banishing those who don't abide by her terms and steadily rising up the platform's ranks with her sympathetic story and angry-funny screen presence.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
In fact, breathable bags of activated charcoal are one of Palmer's go-to tools for banishing bad smells.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
Latz has picked up the past four saves for Texas, banishing Jakob Junis to a supporting role.
—Andy Behrens, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Angels could be seen all around — some on the walls depicting Moses' life and death, and another above, on Michelangelo’s fresco, banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Was banishing Natalie Anderson Tara’s ultimate undoing?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Imagine banishing stuffed animals from the living room, corralling all the toy cars outside the main bedroom, and finally finding a place for that play kitchen that isn’t your actual kitchen.
—Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 11 Feb. 2026
Should the punishment be a life sentence banishing Belichick from the Hall?
—Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
Dell is her stream's dungeon master, banishing those who don't abide by her terms and steadily rising up the platform's ranks with her sympathetic story and angry-funny screen presence.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
In fact, breathable bags of activated charcoal are one of Palmer's go-to tools for banishing bad smells.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banishing
Verb
-
The anti-Zionist project of ending Israel’s existence as a Jewish state implies killing, subjugating, or re-exiling more than half of the world’s Jewish population.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Ruthlessly exiling those players sent a clear message about the importance of squad harmony, but arguably handed the leverage in negotiations to buying clubs, driving down their prices and delaying their departures.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the media fixates on the digital natives known as Gen Z and Gen Alpha — often dismissing them as antisocial and entitled members of society — Saturday’s celebration showed that younger generations might actually have it all under control.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Democrats criticized Republicans for dismissing attempts at meaningful reform.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Decades ago, two six-year-olds went missing for thirty-six hours, sparking a media frenzy that they had been briefly abducted by UFOs but eventually relegating them to a pop cultural punchline.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
And in his rookie season the opposing offense ran at him consistently, relegating him to a pass rusher.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The car overturned and rolled several times, ejecting Reed, the CHP reported.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2026
-
The air crew is seen ejecting from the crafts and parachuting to the ground.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Soliman’s defense team has argued that the testimony of his ex-wife and children would be key to the case should federal prosecutors pursue the death penalty, and that deporting the family would likely violate Soliman’s constitutional rights.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
Attorneys for the family believe the flight was the beginning of what was to be a trip deporting the family overseas.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
And she’s taken a spot in the stands alongside their parents, who have spent years chasing their youngest children around the country to make sure at least one parent attends each pro or college game.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
8 June 2026
-
Now homeowners are chasing that same effect with HVAC scent diffusers — devices that hook into a home’s heating and cooling system to push fragrance through every room at once.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The garment also absorbs heats, carrying it away from the spacesuit's life-support system, expelling it into space.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
Rockets generate propulsive force, also known as thrust, by expelling high-velocity exhaust in a rearward stream.—
Kai James,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Just months into the pandemic, Matthew Haines, like landlords across the country, learned he was barred from evicting tenants who didn’t pay their rent under a federal eviction moratoriumthat lasted almost a year — costing him and his investors over $1 million.—
Michael Casey,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
-
Prasad, at the time of the filing, claimed that the property owner had signed a lease that prevents them from evicting the campus.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Banishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banishing. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
