defect (from)

verb

di-ˈfekt How to pronounce defect (from) (audio)
Definition of defect (from)next
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)
  1. desert
  2. abandon
  3. reject
  4. cut off
Verb
  • Aden's airport was deserted after the Houthi warning, airport employee Salem Al-Awlaqi told The Associated Press.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of desert
Verb
  • The limited operations on Qeshm demonstrate that the United States has not abandoned military pressure.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • De Miguel was taken to a hospital and the match, tied 2-2, was abandoned after the incident.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of abandon
Verb
  • But right-wing parties that would need to be part of his coalition could reject that option.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Human Rights Watch said those expulsions amounted to war crimes, a charge that Israel rejects.
    — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • Police in South Africa have arrested five suspects in connection with a violent farm robbery in the North West province in which a 50-year-old farmer was shot and had his ears cut off.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The village of Chama in New Mexico was evacuated and cut off by road closures.
    — Christopher Weber, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 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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Cite this Entry

“Defect (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defect%20%28from%29. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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