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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defect (from)
Verb
-
Council’s offense deserted him in his second season. 2025 draft picks: third, 35th Draft need: The Sixers needed a power forward all season.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
22 June 2025 -
Never desert a blaze: Avoid abandoning any fire without supervision.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
To add insult to injury, Pfizer abandoned its plan just a few years after the Kelo decision, just as its tax breaks were about to expire and after about $80 million of taxpayer money was spent, and the land remains a vacant lot all these years later.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
22 June 2025
-
While families may choose various savings tools, abandoning Florida’s institutions over political disagreements undermines the progress made by thousands of dedicated students, faculty and staff.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
In response, Congress passed legislation seeking to limit a president's ability to wage war against Iran, which was again quickly rejected by Trump.—
Mariam Khan,
ABC News,
23 June 2025
-
That kind of backlash prompted officials in La Mesa, Oceanside, Vista and Carlsbad to reject digital billboard proposals.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
When opponents control the midfield, press high and cut off those vertical routes, Iceland struggles to progress the ball or retain meaningful possession.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
Iran may retaliate against U.S. forces in the region, cut off a global oil supply route or try to accelerate its nuclear program.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 June 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Defect (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defect%20%28from%29. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share