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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The names of the betrayersare a secret carefully guarded by Cacique and the group called Caribe, a loose grouping of about 3,000 Venezuelan military personnel who have deserted the regime’s ranks and from abroad are trying to coordinate to overthrow Maduro.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025 -
The tables were empty and the bar deserted, the only sign of life the clank and swish of dishes being washed in the back, through the swinging double doors.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As a result, the team abandoned the practice for the next two and a half seasons.—
Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
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Wayne’s car was seen abandoned in Aurora’s Hoffman Heights neighborhood the next day, on June 15, 1986, but police did not link the car to Wayne until it was towed away two weeks later, an Aurora cold case investigator wrote in the affidavit.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Still, this is early days, and there have been similar drugs which looked promising at the beginning but were later rejected due to safety concerns, Nadar said.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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That can feel quite personal, and maybe the parents feel rejected too.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The government shutdown cut off the flow of economic data on unemployment, inflation, and retail spending that the Federal Reserve depends on to monitor the economy’s health.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Nov. 2025
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Energy Minister Abbas Alibadi also announced that water supplies will be cut off on some evenings to refill reservoirs, urging citizens to reduce consumption by 20% to avoid rationing.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
10 Nov. 2025
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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 14 Nov. 2025.
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