divest

verb

dī-ˈvest How to pronounce divest (audio)
Definition of divestnext
1
as in to evict
to end the occupancy or possession of unable to make their mortgage payments, they were summarily divested of their house

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2
as in to rid
to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers the former CEO has divested himself of most of his responsibilities but will continue to work with the company as a consultant

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to deprive
to take something away from he was divested of the boxing title when the fraud was uncovered

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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 divest Earlier this year, the company divested noncore businesses Vertica and eDOCS. — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Like saying this is all about CNN and if CNN is divested or sold to a new owner, the AGs will settle immediately. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 Not least when Barrocas—who retains a 1% stake in SharkNinja—just last week took advantage of its stellar stock performance to net himself over $100 million pretax by divesting nearly 600,000 shares. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 Last month, Barros divested his interest in Liberty Junction and CoJo Partners following intense public backlash over the deal. — Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for divest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divest
  1. evict
  2. relieve
  3. deprive
  4. dispossess
  5. strip
  6. oust
Verb
  • The affair resulted in Attila’s breakup, the (temporary) end of his best-friendship, and Joel getting evicted from Small’s house.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2026
  • That meant the vote came down to either Lala or ally Taylor Brown, and the house elected to evict LaTrice by a vote of 4-2.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of evict
Verb
  • Party leaders laid out proposals for relieving poverty, improving social security, and reforming the education system and admitted members from backgrounds unusual for the CHP, including a Kurdish activist and a union leader.
    — Nick TaborAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • And when the jury verdict came, he was relieved and gratified.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of relieve
Verb
  • There won’t be enough offshore flow to create much of any canyon winds but enough to deprive the region of the cooling sea breeze, forecasters say.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier this summer, one CEO talked about implementing a new T&E system that deprived employees of the right to get personal loyalty benefits from travel.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of deprive
Verb
  • The challenge was to see how many passes each team could complete before they were dispossessed as opponents swarmed all over them.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • He was tackled and dispossessed with the ball on a trajectory to the goal.
    — Monica Alba, NBC news, 24 June 2026
Definition of dispossess
Verb
  • Despite those dynamics, there was talk in recent days on Capitol Hill about the prospect of stripping the Washington congresswoman of her sole committee assignment.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • First-round picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 were stripped.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of strip
Verb
  • Since the attack, the defense minister, the military chief of staff, and the directors of military intelligence, the Mossad and the Shin Bet, have all either resigned, been ousted, or reached the end of their terms.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The president deemed Cornyn not close enough to his MAGA movement, backing Paxton and ousting the incumbent.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of oust

Browse Nearby Words

dives (into)
divest
divested
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Cite this Entry

“Divest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divest. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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