Definition of deportnext

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 Flores-Ruiz was deported in November. CBS News, 3 June 2026 John Moore, a photojournalist with Getty Images, recently traveled with Marvin Suazo and his family on a final trip before a painful separation, when Suazo self-deported to Honduras. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026 Josh, a Canadian citizen like his father, is likely to be deported following his prison term, his lawyer said. Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 3 June 2026 Looking back to the final full fiscal year of the Biden administration, ICE deported more than 271,000 people, or just over 22,000 people per month — the largest such number for more than a decade. Sheldon Jacobson, Twin Cities, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for deport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deport
Verb
  • Instead, it was exiled after one season because of poor ratings.
    Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 June 2026
  • Any executive shopping Makar should be exiled to Ogallala.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • More than 20 years after Michael Jackson was acquitted on charges of child molestation — and two months since the global superstar’s record-breaking biopic skirted any mention of abuse allegations — a new Netflix docuseries brings his trial and the aftermath to the foreground.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
  • Karen Read has filed a lawsuit against Massachusetts State Police and the Canton Police Department nearly a year after she was acquitted of killing her police officer boyfriend.
    Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • The league form picked up sufficiently to banish thoughts of relegation.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026
  • In Nepal, where menstruation stigma still leads some women and girls to be banished to mud huts during their periods, reusable cups have been life-changing.
    Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 35 points and nine assists but wasn’t enough to carry a Thunder team that limped to the finish line, dealing with fatigue and a slew of injuries.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 31 May 2026
  • Each pallet carries a ton of bananas.
    Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Carolina has used a relatively strict two-man rotation at the position under head coach Dave Canales, so Etienne is going to need to carve out a role on offense in specific packages or be relegated to return duties, similar to his rookie season.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
  • Then came an unexpected January benching for Clarkson, who was relegated to the bench as Brown opted for Landry Shamet to fill in those minutes.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • The essential nature of magic especially intrigues physicists like Swingle, who hope to use it on a quantum computer to simulate how gravity behaves in situations where general relativity fails.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2026
  • Germany was the host country of the 2024 European Championships, and the Kansas City police went to view how soccer fans behave.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Before trying to evict bats, think about the timing.
    Tara Hohoff, The Conversation, 28 May 2026
  • But its main tenant, the Orange County Soccer Club, which plays in the second-division USL Championship, has been temporarily evicted, left to train in the nearby park and play its final home game before the World Cup at Eddie West Field in Santa Ana, 12 miles away.
    Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • Owners say a cap is needed to improve competitive balance and restrain wealthy teams from assembling starrier rosters than their smaller-market brethren.
    Ronald Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026
  • Iran is reportedly pushing for the agreement to include a ceasefire in Lebanon, where the US has already restrained Israeli actions, while Hezbollah has intensified its drone attacks on Israeli troops and northern border communities.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 29 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Deport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deport. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

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