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 The administration has gleefully posted imagery of individuals being rounded up and deported to a high-security, low-human rights facility in El Salvador. Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025 Islamabad has also tried to pressure the Taliban by deporting Afghan refugees. NPR, 31 Oct. 2025 Von’s original video was intended for a fan after one of his stand-up shows, who asked him to make it for a friend who was allegedly deported. Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2025 Like Moore, many Philadelphians had stayed true to Garvey’s ideals even after the American government deported him in 1927. Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deport
Verb
  • Krasinski also has the least interesting yet very successful Hollywood career imaginable, but that doesn’t mean he should be exiled or worse.
    Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
  • And with their father being basically exiled to Sandringham and their mother moving somewhere separately for the first time in years, everyone is wondering how Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will react and how this all affects them.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Trump was acquitted in a Senate trial.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The deputy in that case was acquitted on all counts against him in 2023.
    Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Within 30 days, registrations would be required, proofs of freedom demanded, and Black residents lacking two white sponsors willing to post the $500 bond would be banished.
    Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Lately though, claims about the practice have grown, with viral videos and content creators claiming that exposing your blankets to freezing temperatures kills bacteria, banishes allergens, and more.
    Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • North also styled her hair in braids like Dionne and carried a small black leather handbag.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
  • This year, a replica of the Seneca Chief, which carried Clinton in 1825, set out from Buffalo on the canal.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • At the end of the following season, they were relegated on the final day courtesy of defeat at Arsenal, where Wright was among the scorers.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Social media is abuzz with rumors that Disney theme parks might not keep villains around the parks year-round and would instead be relegated to the Halloween season.
    James Factora, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Gabbard denied behaving improperly and suggested the accusations were politically motivated.
    Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Nov. 2025
  • But in the lobby, not everyone behaves well.
    Jessica Neal, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Prince Andrew ⬆ Stripped of titles, evicted from his mansion, becomes Andrew Mountbatten Windsor—yet King Charles pays his rent at Sandringham for life.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • His brother will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and will be evicted from the royal mansion he's lived in.
    Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Video shows one agent restraining the man, then dragging him around as another agent helps pin him to the ground.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
  • In the first five months of 2024, employees of Southern Peaks Regional Treatment Center in Cañon City physically restrained young patients an average of 150 times per month, or five times in a typical day, said Emily Harvey, legal co-director of Disability Law Colorado.
    Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deport. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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