dispossess

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 For me, the flashback is suggestive but not conclusive — maybe Arthur’s genuinely confused about the identity of the man in his house, or maybe this is his chance at revenge against the white men who have continually dispossessed his family and his people. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025 Like Dunbar’s speakers, Hughes’s dispossessed have no way out, and the poem implicitly refutes optimism regarding the Great Migration and racial progress. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 As with the enclosures in England and Scotland, villagers were uprooted and dispossessed to make way for sheep and cattle. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 30 Sep. 2025 The cry is always I have been dispossessed of what belongs to me, my house, the food, foodstuff, the land. Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dispossess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispossess
Verb
  • Luari also was evicted from a second bakery location in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square that never opened.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The question has been asked a lot since the former Duchess was evicted from Royal Lodge alongside her ex-husband, the former prince Andrew.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Cuba has taken a severe economic hit since the US effectively blocked its oil supply earlier this year, depriving its aging electricity network of its main source of fuel.
    Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The 27-year-old's absence especially hurt on defense and deprived him time to build chemistry with star guard James Harden, whose acquisition at the trade deadline has raised title hopes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dispossess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossess. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on dispossess

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster