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 Four of the eight people have since been deported to Mexico, according to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office. Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, this past weekend, reports emerged that two American military cargo jets deported people to Africa on flights that appear to have had their transponders turned off, preventing tracking by obscuring their locations from public flight databases and other nearby aircraft. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025 After being detained and questioned, he was deported back to Kabul on the same aircraft on Sunday. Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025 He was set to be deported, but ICE released him to care for his wife. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deport
Verb
  • In the Paramount+ series, Sylvester Stallone stars as Dwight Manfredi, a New York mob boss who, after serving a 25 year prison sentence, is exiled to Tulsa, Okla.
    Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Once a loyal court magician supporting the crown prince from behind the scenes, Alec Ygret is cast aside and exiled for only knowing support magic.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Many expected Combs would secure release on bond after being acquitted of the more serious charges, but Judge Subramanian denied the request, leaning heavily on Combs’ own admissions of domestic violence.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Ernest Medina was acquitted of all charges related to the My Lai massacre.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For Darnold, Thursday’s victory went some way to banishing demons from last season.
    Ben Morse, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The best clarifying shampoo can completely transform a lackluster shower routine, deep cleansing hair, exfoliating the scalp, and banishing excess oils and product buildup that leave strands flat, dull, or frizz-prone.
    Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Biennale, staged in these same spaces, carried forward that mercantile energy -- but with art as its new currency.
    Dada Jovanovic, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Mounds View running back Cayden Tran carried eight times for 46 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season, which came on runs of 7 and 4 yards.
    Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Once the club acquired Adam Frazier at the Major League Baseball trade deadline, India was relegated to more of a limited role.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Wilson started his latest chapter with the New York Giants this season, but he was relegated to a backup role after just three games.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In vacuum and one-sixth gravity, lubricants boil off, moving parts behave differently, and remote or autonomous operation is necessary because of the time delay between Earth and Moon, which makes real-time teleoperation impractical.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Later, he was joined on the show by Robert De Niro, who played the chairman of the FCC and behaved like a mob boss.
    Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Who got evicted from 'Big Brother'?
    Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Under existing law, a landlord must pay one month’s rent at the rate in the contract for any tenant evicted for no fault of the tenant.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Darcy said that when a person is resisting officers, their knowledge of the person having pre-existing medical conditions is not enough to prevent them from restraining someone combative.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
  • The implicit message, heard clearly by the market, is that policy makers will be quicker to support growth than to restrain it proactively to inhibit inflation.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deport. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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