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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In the last decade, young audiences coveted by advertisers have deserted late night TV shows for streaming channels.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2026 -
Bro, being deserted on a deserted island back in the fifties is way different than nowadays.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Kuna fires out, abandoned home burns Smoke poured out of two fires in Kuna on Thursday, said James Trumble, the Kuna Rural Fire District’s assistant chief.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
29 May 2026
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And then there’s the fact that in the season finale’s final minutes, set in 2020, the Soviet spaceship MAPC-94, abandoned in space after its engines failed decades ago, turns itself on.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The court also rejected the New Orleans City Council’s attempt to hold a special election, which would have given Duncan the option to run again.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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On Tuesday, however, the federation learned that the CAS panel had largely rejected its arguments but has annulled the first sanction’s partial-stadium closure.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
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So the Devil orders the father to cut off his daughter’s offending hands.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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The strait’s closure continues to cut off 20% of the world’s oil supply from global markets, along with liquid natural gas and fertilizer needed for a functioning global economy.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
2 June 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 3 Jun. 2026.
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