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 Federal officials say Flores-Ruiz illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico after being deported. Daniel Bice, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Thunberg and other activists were detained off the coast of Israel in June and deported after attempting to reach Gaza. Callum Sutherland, Time, 2 Sep. 2025 Immigration judges are the only ones who can revoke someone's green card or issue a final order of removal for people who have been in the country for more than two years and are in the process of being deported. Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025 His supporters cite his long-term residence, steady work and family ties as reasons he should not be deported. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deport
Verb
  • South America is buzzing with debates over whether Maduro should be exiled or imprisoned.
    Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Everything used to be built around England getting over the line, and the skipper was happy to exile any player who might burst the bubble.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In December, the 61-year-old was found guilty of DUI, negligent driving, failure to control speed to avoid a collision and failure to notify of a change in address, but she was acquitted of reckless driving, following a March car accident, the state's attorney's office previously confirmed.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The jury acquitted Catarino on two additional counts of armed criminal action.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This tension is only underlined by the filmmakers’ insistence on using pictures of the real Warrens and their demon-banishing clients in the credits of most Conjuring-verse movies.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • This blemish-banishing formula includes witch hazel, algae extract, and grape seed extract, plus vitamin E to keep pores looking tight, rein in excess sebum, and shield skin from free radicals.
    Esme Benjamin, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The couple recently came under much media scrutiny when Abby and her conjoined twin sister, Brittany, both 35, were spotted carrying a newborn baby while running errands last month.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Worthy certainly was a significant part of the game-plan, and then his significance in the game was relegated to one series.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
  • This summer will have been a baptism of fire for Underwood, too, jumping from the insulated confines of academy football into the bearpit of a window that will go some way to deciding whether Leeds are relegated or not.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • So how these sports gambling firms are behaving in response to these new state taxes is hardly surprising.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
  • And across industries, creators feel the same pressure to behave like machines, churn out more and feed the algorithm.
    Rod Yancy, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Perhaps she is not actually evicted.
    David Wysong, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Reilly failed to finish in her allotted 1 minute and 30 seconds and was immediately evicted.
    Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Wilson's dying body was pulled inside the home by the family and restrained with his own handcuffs.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • State police will typically drive immigrants, who are restrained in belly chains, to what are essentially ICE bus stops at various places throughout the state.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deport. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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