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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Security footage shows the missing man crashing his car and abandoning it near the Best Western Hotel on Enterprise Drive.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Republican state lawmakers opposed the measure, saying the Legislature was circumventing its process and abandoning transparency and accountability in order to funnel tax dollars to a political ally.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Gingles’ apartment, investigators found a letter from the DMV in Texas, dated less than two weeks before the murders, rejecting an application for a Texas certificate of title for a vehicle.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Even Republican districts are rejecting the rapid buildout of ICE detention facilities in their communities.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Tennessee, Republican leaders have worked with the White House to craft a package of bills aimed at cutting off any state spending on unauthorized residents, in part by creating immigration checks for public school children.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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Tax the billionaires to pay for our monthly healthcare and childcare costs, ban private equity firms from buying our homes, lower energy costs by cutting off wasteful bitcoin and AI data centers.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 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 18 Feb. 2026.
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