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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However, that action then sparked outrage among many residents who felt the city was abandoning homeless residents, while also trying to push them to other cities.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026 -
At the same time, demand for nonalcoholic alternatives has surged — even as most consumers continue to drink alcohol in moderation rather than abandoning it altogether.—
Jason Mastrodonato,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Two in 5 Gen Zers are pursuing blue-collar work, rejecting the collegiate path and learning trades, according to a May 2025 survey of 1,434 young adults by Resume Builder.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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And the British nations, as ever, remained aloof, England rejecting a late offer to step in for Austria.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The strikes on the Poltava region targeted energy infrastructure facilities, cutting off electricity, water and heating to some communities, authorities said.—
Oleksiy Pshemyskiy,
ABC News,
8 Nov. 2025
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The floods have also left 11 people missing, inundated more than 116,000 houses and 5,000 hectares of crops, and damaged roads and railways, cutting off traffic and power in several areas, the government’s disaster agency said in a report.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
31 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 Jan. 2026.
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