as in to desert
to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another
soldiers defected from the rebel army en masse as the failure of their cause became apparent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defect (from)
Verb
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Disease Is the Even Bigger Problem Competition for food is a serious concern on its own, but disease transmission is what wildlife officials consider the greater threat to desert bighorn sheep survival.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026 -
Idle oil wells cleanup Senate Bill 47 raises the cap on how much money from the Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund can be spent to plug and cleanup deserted oil wells, according to the California State Senate website.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
April 22,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In at least one instance, the driver was able to fight off a gunman and force the would-be robbers to abandon their plan, prosecutors said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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People facing the prospect of prolonged ICE detention are increasingly abandoning their claims for humanitarian protection and agreeing to depart voluntarily.—
Maria Sacchetti,
Washington Post,
8 May 2026
Verb
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But Breakfield rejected that argument during sentencing.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
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Lower courts likely won't approve a measure that aims to circumvent a Supreme Court ruling and would probably reject any law that ties the provision of general government services to the behaviors of the recipients, Smith said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The fact that Iran could so easily cut off the world’s access to a fifth of global oil with some mines, makeshift drones and speed boats will require some serious reckoning – and permanent changes.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
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And nearly all of Iran’s population has been cut off from the internet since the war began.—
Jackie Northam,
NPR,
12 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defect (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defect%20%28from%29. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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