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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Miller, a child star from Toronto, was feeling the vertigo of abandoning show business.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025 -
In theory, pediatricians abandoning vaccines would help their businesses.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite rejecting his proposal, her feelings for him stayed the same.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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The countries now recognizing a Palestinian state and publicly committing themselves to the prospect are rejecting that premise and denying the settler right’s attempt at a fait accompli.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Across town, the Elk River could surround CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, cutting off all exits.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement In filmmaker Tobe Hooper's slasher classic, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface's penchant for cutting off his victims' faces and wearing them as masks was apparently inspired by Gein's own macabre habits.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
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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 8 Oct. 2025.
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