as in deserted
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 defected (from)
Verb
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Streets of the town were deserted Friday, many homes had their curtains drawn and shops were closed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026 -
Cillian Murphy starred in the inaugural film of the series, 28 Days Later (2002), as Jim, who wakes up from a coma to find a once-bustling London deserted amidst a Rage Virus outbreak that began four weeks earlier.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Throughout the history of gold panning, workers had never been abandoned in remote or forgotten areas of the jungle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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The buildings were abandoned as the public school system grew more welcoming of Black students, and many of the sites have been lost, historians say.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nearly a year before Kim debunked the rumors, Cheban rejected the claims during a March 2025 interview with Us Weekly, sharing sentiments similar to Kim’s about their differing lifestyles.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
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The ruling rejected the league’s attempt to force Flores into arbitration, which would have had Commissioner Roger Goodell serve as the arbitrator.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cumming said the city's information technology department also abruptly cut off part of her office administrator's access, including the ability to see who else in city government may be looking at whistleblower complaints and documents related to ethics investigations.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The drug cuts off access to vitamin A in the testes by blocking a receptor known as RAR alpha.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defected (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defected%20%28from%29. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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