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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As befits such an environment, his handling of tactile stuff—not just silk and fur but bread and brickwork, too—never deserted him.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026 -
But on Saturday, his powers of recovery deserted him, and – by the end of the day – so had his lead.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dozens of homes stood abandoned until they were razed and replaced with signs saying to keep out.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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The town of Red Ash was abandoned in the 1950s, and today, the island lies quietly as a part of West Virginia’s history, with just a handful of headstones remaining.—
Jordan Charbonneau,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Orbán rejected the accusations and denounced them as interference in Hungary’s sovereignty.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Richie said the company rejected the settlement demand and argued the state's workers' compensation program is the exclusive remedy for any injury in the workplace.—
Nicole Valdes,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then, the livestream abruptly cuts off.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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The war, now in its seventh week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as a great deal of shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 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 18 Apr. 2026.
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