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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defected (from)
Verb
-
Tehran’s streets are deserted Tehran’s streets have been largely deserted with people sheltering during airstrikes.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026 -
Within minutes, the square was deserted.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But many Oscar pundits abandoned ship, after Jordan pulled out a surprise win from the Actor Awards on March 1.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
However, in recent days traders have abandoned hope of easing from the Fed, with reducing odds of a cut this year.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In 2019, a bill requiring the Department of Public Health and the University of Connecticut to study female genital mutilation in the state was rejected by the Senate.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2026
-
But Patrick rejected the idea that funding battles would doom the effort.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the threat of being cut off from crucial support from the EU will likely force the president to capitulate.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
-
David staggered away as the video cuts off.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
17 Mar. 2026
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
“Defected (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defected%20%28from%29. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
