as in evicting
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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Recent Examples of dispossessing
Mandi was in control of the ball, going nowhere fast, and there was little prospect of dispossessing him from Messi’s position.
—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
How a state comes to control another land and its people, sometimes slowly dispossessing the natives of their lands, sometimes laying waste to them, sometimes committing genocide.
—
Philip Metres
august 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
How a state comes to control another land and its people, sometimes slowly dispossessing the natives of their lands, sometimes laying waste to them, sometimes committing genocide.
—
Philip Metres
august 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispossessing
Verb
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But in 2023, Kenya’s government began evicting them again, citing a new justification.
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Just months into the pandemic, Matthew Haines, like landlords across the country, learned he was barred from evicting tenants who didn’t pay their rent under a federal eviction moratoriumthat lasted almost a year — costing him and his investors over $1 million.
Verb
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Haitian soldiers seasoned on American battlefields during the revolution later sparked Haiti’s overthrow of French colonial rule, depriving France of its most profitable slave colony and ending one of the most brutal enslavement of human beings in modern world history.
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Voting in favor of suspension can mean depriving a council member’s constituents of representation.
Verb
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Indeed, France recorded its hottest nights since records began in 1947, and in that context, many people are stripping down.
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Sydney Sweeney is welcoming summer by stripping down to her summer swimwear—and a timeless addition from her Syrn brand.
Verb
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In his view, the administration is effectively expropriating the decision-making power of owners and handing it to the state.
Cite this Entry
“Dispossessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossessing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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