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
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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
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King is especially distraught in the season finale after learning that she'll be deposed again in a lawsuit against the ER — a suit and deposition that has burdened the doctor all season.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, son of the shah deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, deny the campaign’s responsibility for such threats and accuse government agents of posing as activists online.—
Adam Geller,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the night their cup opponent sacked their second head coach in four months, four days before kick-off, with their campaign in tatters, United’s 20-man squad smashed through another brick wall.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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The Chargers’ offensive line woes in 2025 were the weekly nightmare that culminated in Justin Herbert being sacked six times by the New England Patriots in another one-and-done postseason appearance.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some claims have been dismissed or settled out of court, while others are ongoing.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
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For as long as medicine has been practiced, women’s health concerns have been minimized, misdiagnosed or dismissed.—
Dr. Sanjay Gupta,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defrocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrocked. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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