as in deserting
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 defecting (from)
Verb
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But Putin was not going to launch a new war against Turkey’s rebel allies just to save a petty dictator whose own soldiers were deserting.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Researchers are stripping grant applications of words that might attract federal scrutiny, or abandoning the topics entirely.—
Bruce Schneier,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
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For example, behavioral analytics may show that customers are abandoning a travel booking flow at unusually high rates.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
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After initially rejecting a sanctuary city designation and related proposals, the council later adopted a broader resolution aimed at protecting immigrant communities.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
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The act also is seen as a symbol of rejecting evil and a commemoration of the Prophet Ibrahim’s rejection of temptation when the devil tried to dissuade him from submitting to God’s will.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Curtis recommends cutting off any browning leaves at the base with a sharp, clean pair of secateurs.—
Michelle Mastro,
The Spruce,
24 May 2026
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The Tribune recently reported Ige also voluntarily returned tens of millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 grants, cutting off funding for disease surveillance and racial equity programming.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defecting (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defecting%20%28from%29. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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