as in to depose
to remove from a position of prominence or power (as a throne)
the movie's director was defrocked for going way over budget
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Recent Examples of defrock
He was removed from public ministry in 2003 and defrocked in 2020, but does not appear to have been charged in any criminal cases, the report said.
—
Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Robert Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024
Baker remained in the ministry until 2000, when he was defrocked, church records show.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024
David Kerr, a spokesman for the Diocese of Lansing, said now that DeLorenzo has pleaded guilty he will be formally defrocked.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 27 Apr. 2023
One exception is former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked in 2019 after abuse allegations surfaced.
—Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for defrock
Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Robert Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024
Baker remained in the ministry until 2000, when he was defrocked, church records show.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024
David Kerr, a spokesman for the Diocese of Lansing, said now that DeLorenzo has pleaded guilty he will be formally defrocked.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 27 Apr. 2023
One exception is former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked in 2019 after abuse allegations surfaced.
—Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for defrock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrock
Verb
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Plaintiffs' lawyers were scheduled to depose former DHS Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Guy next week in an ongoing discovery effort around the decision-making that led to the CORE dismissals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
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The letter also revealed how Elevance announced Haytaian’s departure right after DOJ first asked to depose him.—
Bob Herman,
STAT,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Andy Sachs (Hathaway) has just been sacked from her respected position as an award-winning reporter at a vital, forward-thinking political news outlet.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
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While Troy may well have been sacked in a war, historians are largely unwilling to accept that it was ever destroyed by a crack team of Greek soldiers hidden inside a giant wooden horse.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defrock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrock. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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