DEFECTED (FROM) Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

defected (from)

verb

past tense of defect (from)

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for defected (from)

Verb

Another neighbor said the apartment was deserted when police arrived.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
One season on our family farm, deer deserted a tree stand that had produced results for years.

— David Farbman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of deserted

Verb

With that said, Jonas Vingegaard’s crash at this year’s Tour shows how quickly races can change — while the two favorites at last year’s Giro d’Italia, Roglič and Juan Ayuso, both abandoned with injuries.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
In the present-day timeline, this reveal casts a large shadow over adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), who’s abandoned by husband Jeff (Warren Cole) and daughter Callie (Sarah Desjardins).

— Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of abandoned

Verb

Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a Collin County jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Peltola's campaign rejected the support of former Vice President Kamala Harris days ahead of the primary, after Harris' PAC sought to fundraise on her behalf.

— Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

Bridges on the Big Island were washed away, and several communities have been entirely cut off from the rest of the island.

— Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
The county’s Flock cameras soon went dark, cutting off Dane County data from the 140 other law enforcement agencies that had once accessed it.

— Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of cut off

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defected

defected (from)

defect (from)

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“Defected (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defected%20%28from%29. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of defected (from)

verb

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