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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The ordinance would require landlords to provide a valid reason before evicting a tenant or declining to renew their lease.
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But in 2023, Kenya’s government began evicting them again, citing a new justification.
Verb
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Some employees also owe their employers a deeper fiduciary duty, which one court has described as the duty to protect the employer’s interests and to avoid injuring the employer or depriving the employer of the employee’s skills.
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Extreme heat is already a headache for many data centers, raising the chances electricity will go away, depriving customers of their sweet, sweet AI.
Verb
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Ukraine’s advances in drone technology have given it an edge in recent months, analysts and Western officials say, striking supply routes behind the front line, stripping the Russian army of momentum on the battlefield and slowing its advance.
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In response, Britain imposed the punitive Coercive Acts (1774), closing Boston Harbour and stripping Massachusetts of self-governance.
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 7 Jul. 2026.
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