as in deposing
to remove from a position of prominence or power (as a throne)
the nation's last monarch was dethroned in a popular uprising many years ago
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Recent Examples of dethroning
The Pioneers made the Frozen Four by dethroning Western Michigan, a 6-2 blitz set off by four first-period goals.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Movie pulled in $130 million from 4,200 North American theaters to arrive as the year’s biggest opening — dethroning the Ryan Gosling sci-fi crowd pleaser Project Hail Mary, which claimed the title of 2026’s biggest debut just seven days earlier.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2026
There hasn’t been much KP hasn’t been able to hurdle, and that showed in double-overtime wins over Canton in the second round and Pembroke in the quarterfinals, before dethroning defending state champion Medfield in the semifinals.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Paramount had raised its bid, dethroning Netflix in the jockeying for the fabled studio.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 28 Feb. 2026
Plus, Amazon just snagged the top spot on the Fortune 500 from Walmart, dethroning it from a 13-year reign.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
In 2021, Beyoncé broke the record for the most Grammys won by a woman, dethroning Alison Krauss, and the most Grammys won by a singer of any gender.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
The limited series debuted in early January and quickly amassed 20 million views (per Netflix’s own sometimes controversial ratings system), dethroning the final season of Stranger Things.
—Yohana Desta, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
Its sibling cars, of course, became famous for winning the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans in a first-, second-, and third-place finish, dethroning Ferrari in the process and becoming the stuff of automotive legend.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2025
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Movie pulled in $130 million from 4,200 North American theaters to arrive as the year’s biggest opening — dethroning the Ryan Gosling sci-fi crowd pleaser Project Hail Mary, which claimed the title of 2026’s biggest debut just seven days earlier.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2026
There hasn’t been much KP hasn’t been able to hurdle, and that showed in double-overtime wins over Canton in the second round and Pembroke in the quarterfinals, before dethroning defending state champion Medfield in the semifinals.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Paramount had raised its bid, dethroning Netflix in the jockeying for the fabled studio.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 28 Feb. 2026
Plus, Amazon just snagged the top spot on the Fortune 500 from Walmart, dethroning it from a 13-year reign.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
In 2021, Beyoncé broke the record for the most Grammys won by a woman, dethroning Alison Krauss, and the most Grammys won by a singer of any gender.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
The limited series debuted in early January and quickly amassed 20 million views (per Netflix’s own sometimes controversial ratings system), dethroning the final season of Stranger Things.
—Yohana Desta, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
Its sibling cars, of course, became famous for winning the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans in a first-, second-, and third-place finish, dethroning Ferrari in the process and becoming the stuff of automotive legend.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dethroning
Verb
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One of our sources told Gina that getting rid of a sheriff in Alabama is like deposing a king.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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The legal teams re-entered the courtroom after deposing the ice agent for a second time.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The results showed that seventy-nine percent support some form of intervention, with some favoring toppling the regime and others wanting to deal with the humanitarian crisis, highlighting a range of priorities within the community.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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In December 2024, a rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham swept through the country with stunning speed, toppling the Assad regime that had ruled Syria since 1970.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The confrontation went viral in December 2024, as cameras captured Gastineau confronting Favre in 2023 over Michael Strahan sacking the Green Bay Packers legend to break Gastineau's single-season sack record.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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So Green can go back to sad-sacking and triple-singling starting Saturday against the Thunder, and certainly Monday against the Jazz.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In October, Superior Court Judge Judy Bae granted LCLJ’s motion, dismissing the city’s lawsuit and allowing LAFCO to move to the next steps in the process.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
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But dismissing it as fusty would be an unfortunate act of self-deprivation.—
Rachel Howard,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Does Raman have a chance at unseating her former ally?—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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Conyears-Ervin, Chicago’s treasurer since 2019, launched her second bid for the seat after falling short of unseating incumbent Davis two years ago.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dethroning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dethroning. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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