Synonym Chooser

How does the verb deport contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deport are banish, exile, and transport. While all these words mean "to remove by authority from a state or country," deport implies sending out of the country an alien who has illegally entered or whose presence is judged inimical to the public welfare.

illegal aliens will be deported

When might banish be a better fit than deport?

In some situations, the words banish and deport are roughly equivalent. However, banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own.

banished for seditious activities

When is it sensible to use exile instead of deport?

The synonyms exile and deport are sometimes interchangeable, but exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country.

a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

When is transport a more appropriate choice than deport?

The meanings of transport and deport largely overlap; however, transport implies sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony.

a convict who was transported to Australia

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 deport Another 154 prisoners were deported to Egypt, most of them convicted of violent offenses including murder. Tim Lister, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025 White immigrants who can blend in are not being deported. Sofía Pereda, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 One mother, Fatmeh Abu Daher, had come to Ramallah to see her son, who had spent 24 years behind bars—but he was deported to Egypt instead. Greg Myre, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025 In 2018, she was arrested at a custody hearing in Utah and deported to Mexico, with $40 in her pocket. Christina Noriega, Refinery29, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deport
Verb
  • As details of Prince Andrew's past correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein continue to surface, royal experts claim King Charles III is facing mounting pressure from family members to exile his brother as fear of the monarchy's demise lingers.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Before our very eyes, left-wing radicals toppled his statues, vandalized his monuments, tarnished his character, and sought to exile him from our public spaces.
    Addy Bink, The Hill, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Prosecutors retried one of the men, John Kogut – who had made a coerced confession to the murder – but he was acquitted.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • They were acquitted on the more serious charge of murder.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Disruption and sadness shall be banished.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
  • As for banishing, those shiny black leggings—the rock chic sort that look PVC but aren’t.
    Olivia Allen, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Running back Chase Brown had his best game of the year on the ground, rushing for 108 yards on just 11 carries against the Pittsburgh defense.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Washington also had a 48-yard run on the Razorbacks’ first drive and finished with 147 yards on 16 carries.
    Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In defence, the signings of Jules Kounde and Christensen relegated Garcia to a secondary role.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Sora 2 remains at the top of the free iPhone apps chart on the Apple App Store, with ChatGPT now relegated to second place.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Patrick addressed the tension between his team and the Lions after the game, taking a slight jab at the way Detroit behaves on the field.
    Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • This means that even a very small number of malicious files inserted into training data can teach a model to behave in unexpected or harmful ways when triggered by a specific phrase or pattern.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The two had been evicted from their home and were sleeping some nights in a hospital lobby before turning to Room in the Inn, the teen girl said.
    Taylor Batten, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The drama was followed by another housemate, George, being evicted after mocking gay housemate Sam.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As is his wont, Schumacher leans into the emotional manipulation — heaven forbid the man should ever restrain himself — which actually undercuts the emotions on display.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The goal is to learn how Treg cells and other immune cells can be kept in equilibrium – strong enough to defend against infections and cancer yet restrained enough to prevent autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
    Mitzi Nagarkatti, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deport. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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