Definition of dispossessnext
as in to evict
to end the occupancy or possession of opponents of gentrification claim that the process unfairly dispossesses poorer residents of their long-established homes

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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 dispossess Calling his father and uncle gusanos — or worms, a Spanish-language term coined by Castro to denigrate those fleeing the island — the agent seized the bank and in an instant dispossessed a family that arrived from Spain in the 16th century. Joshua Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 Calling his father and uncle gusanos — or worms, a Spanish-language term coined by Castro to denigrate those fleeing the island — the agent seized the bank and, in an instant, dispossessed a family that arrived from Spain in the 16th century. CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026 Their destruction was also a central part of the federal campaign to subdue and dispossess tribal nations. Tyson Running Wolf, Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2026 The growth of colonial Australian society came at the expense of the Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who were often dispossessed of their land, exposed to foreign diseases, and either pushed into marginal areas or forcibly assimilated into European culture. Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dispossess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispossess
Verb
  • One of the attractions of self-storage as a business is that evicting stuff is easier than evicting people.
    David Owen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Teeny, along with several other animals, was surrendered to the Arizona Humane Society after their own was sadly evicted from their residence.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The pandemic closed the Vatican Museums for months, depriving the Holy See of one of its main sources of revenue.
    Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • That season, however, there was only a one-week break between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, depriving the league of its normal buffer zone.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dispossess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossess. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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