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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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
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Once a gold rush boomtown, Oatman was largely abandoned when the gold miners downed their pickaxes and skipped town—leaving behind a herd of long-eared burros.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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It was then abandoned after the war as there was no financial need to continue it at the time.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown rejected Beverly Hills’ apology after police shut down his private All-Star Weekend event, citing financial and reputational harm.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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In Shelley’s novel, the lonely creature demands a romantic companion after he is rejected by humanity.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Middle East is a major producer of both oil and natural gas, but its energy exports have now been largely cut off from the rest of the world by an effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
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Companies are investing heavily, making structural bets, and cutting off their own escape routes.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 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 9 Mar. 2026.
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