as in deposed
to remove from a position of prominence or power (as a throne)
the movie's director was defrocked for going way over budget
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defrocked
The priest who married them was really defrocked.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA defrocked Chief Executive Officer Luigi Lovaglio in an effort to end a bruising period of leadership turmoil.
—Sonia Sirletti, Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026
Kiesle was finally defrocked in 1987.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
While a review board deemed the abuse credible, the Vatican -- at the urging of then-Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin -- let Allard retire rather than be defrocked.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA defrocked Chief Executive Officer Luigi Lovaglio in an effort to end a bruising period of leadership turmoil.
—Sonia Sirletti, Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026
Kiesle was finally defrocked in 1987.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
While a review board deemed the abuse credible, the Vatican -- at the urging of then-Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin -- let Allard retire rather than be defrocked.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrocked
Verb
-
On Sunday, deposed starter Antonio Senzatela looked reborn as a long reliever.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Chicago sports radio host Peggy Kusinski was also deposed, records show.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The pieces were on loan from a Bucharest museum, whose head was promptly sacked for lending the works out in the first place.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The town was sacked and burned by the Portuguese in 1531.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In February, the judge overseeing the case dismissed several claims against the bank, but let stand two others.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Far too often, symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath and nerve pain are misdiagnosed or dismissed.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defrocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrocked. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
