as in deposing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrocking
Verb
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At the same time, the president has brought Russia’s Vladimir Putin out of isolation, stunned the world by deposing Venezuela’s leader and made invasion threats toward Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
17 Jan. 2026 -
Some are counting on the United States deposing him, Saddam Hussein-style (or Salvador Allende-style, or Manuel Noriega-style).—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Pursuit of Purdy The Seahawks’ front seven made life difficult for Purdy, chasing him across the field while sacking him twice.—
Andrew Destin,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Jan. 2026
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The Texans stifled the Steelers rushing attack and harassed Aaron Rodgers so extensively — sacking him four times, hitting him 12 times — that the future Hall of Fame quarterback scarcely had time to wait for plays to develop and repeatedly dumped the ball off for short gains.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Consequently, before dismissing this federal tax credit scholarship careful consideration should be given to who can benefit from this additional funding and if this program allows a win-win situation for both public and private schools across Illinois.—
Froylan Jimenez,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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My career at The Times started as my mother was dying of ovarian cancer after years of doctors dismissing her health concerns.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defrocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrocking. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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