DEFECT (FROM) Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

defect (from)

verb

di-ˈfekt

Definition of defect (from)

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for defect (from)

Verb

Propped up by strong finishing, Tottenham were on 11 points at this stage a year ago, but soon reverted to their relegation-battling baseline once that ruthlessness deserted them.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Asked whether Vuitton needed to take more drastic action to win back aspirational consumers, who have deserted the luxury sector in droves, Cabanis cautioned against lowering prices.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of desert

Verb

Executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP and TotalEnergies abandoned the event, the FT reported, due to the potential danger.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
In Peru, the world’s largest catcher of anchovies, the fishing industry collapsed after the tiny baitfish abandoned the country’s waters for cooler northern climes.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of abandon

Verb

Quebec voters have twice rejected independence, most recently by a razor-thin margin in a 1995 referendum.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
For countries that rejected the open international order, as the axis countries do today, the benefits were far fewer and the penalties considerable.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of reject

Verb

Sierra ultimately decided to cut off Machado’s shirt and bra with a pair of scissors and had sex with Machado’s body.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Some reporters in the press box in Atlanta noted seeing Daniels having his jersey cut off by medical staff.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut off

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.

Browse Nearby Words

defected (from)

defect (from)

defecting

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“Defect (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defect%20%28from%29. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defect (from)

verb

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