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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Moscow has shown no sign of abandoning its maximalist demands in the ongoing peace talks.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
2 Sep. 2025 -
Avoid abandoning any fire without supervision.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Bottom Line Gen Z isn’t rejecting career ambition—they’re redefining it around skill mastery, purpose and sustainable productivity rather than traditional hierarchies.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Even while rejecting many of the Administration’s demands, Harvard has in recent months made moves that share something of the flavor of the Administration’s preferences, beyond addressing antisemitism.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Ewpjdk 4-Pack Garden Pruning Shears come with four pruning shears for the price of one and are versatile enough to take on all kinds of fall pruning tasks, like harvesting, clipping, deadheading, and cutting off the final fruits of the season, before winter comes.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
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The 11-year-old was suffering an asthma attack, which was cutting off his supply of oxygen.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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