as in apostate
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defecting
Verb
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The purges drove an exodus of research talent, with figures like Einstein, Bethe, and Krebs emigrating to the UK and, mostly, the US.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025 -
In setting the stage for the drama, Wong drew upon memories of his own childhood in Hong Kong, to which his family moved after emigrating from Shanghai.—
Gregg Kilday,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Adjective
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The renegade baseball general manager in Moneyball, for instance, was later played by Brad Pitt, while the characters in The Big Short were portrayed by Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Pitt again, among others.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The city’s battles with renegade first-time Councilmember Tony Blain, a tree removal project planned for public safety, the opening of the West Village Poway Apartments and new e-bike regulations were among the big stories in Poway this year.—
Susan Gill Vardon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Jasper Many travelers catch a glimpse of this small town while journeying on Scenic Highway 7—often ranked as one of the most scenic drives in America—but Jasper has a beauty all of its own.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
19 Jan. 2026
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With the sun, Mercury and Mars journeying through Aquarius and your third house of curiosity, ideas move faster and your voice carries more weight than usual.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Like Zilisch, van Gisbergen has taken a nontraditional path to the Cup series.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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Because Adofo-Mensah’s nontraditional background faced significant resistance over his four seasons with the franchise, the Vikings are likely to seek someone with more experience as an evaluator and manager.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The group's been touring on and off for 25 years.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
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The center itself, like all such arts venues, survives and thrives on an enduring and connected network of relationships – among artists, touring productions, artist managers, production teams, technical staff, venue management, audiences and donors.—
E. Andrew Taylor,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The two endpoints have moved a meter farther apart, traveling at, say, one meter per second.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Swiss Federal Railways, or SBB, is your go-to railway when traveling within Switzerland, and one-way tickets cost $30 on average.—
Erik Buckingham,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defecting. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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