divests

verb

present tense third-person singular of divest
1
as in evicts
to end the occupancy or possession of unable to make their mortgage payments, they were summarily divested of their house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in rids
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 deprives
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 divests The agreement keeps the popular app alive in the US more than a year after lawmakers passed a bill that would ban TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance divests its US operations. — semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025 In addition to making more untold billions, the NFL effectively divests itself of the costs associated with in-house broadcasting. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2025 In late June, the agency announced a settlement, allowing the acquisition to go forward as long as HPE divests its division for small and medium businesses and licenses Juniper’s software to independent competitors. — Julia Shapero, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divests
  1. evicts
  2. rids
  3. deprives
  4. dispossesses
  5. relieves
  6. strips
  7. ousts
  8. frees
Verb
  • Ashley evicts Morgan Ashley evicts Morgan.
    — Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 28 Sep. 2025
  • In the city of Cluj, located within the country’s Transylvania region, a bailiff named Orsolya (Eszter Tompa) evicts the homeless Ion (Gabriel Spahiu) from the unused cellar of a local house to make way for the construction of the Kontinental boutique hotel.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Definition of evicts
Verb
  • Their body care kit gets to the root of smooth skin with a trio of products including a pre-sluff bar that rids it of lotions and oils, a washable textured mitt that sloughs off dead cells and a eucalyptus-scented body lotion that loads it with hydration while making your bathroom smell like a spa.
    — Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
  • Trading out of the first round also rids the 49ers of having a first-round pick with a fifth-year option.
    — Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of rids
Verb
  • Researchers have argued that allowing private buyers to own such specimens deprives paleontologists the opportunity to study them.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 14 July 2026
  • Graham’s death deprives the Senate of not only a reliable Republican vote, but also a negotiator who often helped assemble coalitions on national security issues, judicial nominations, and budget legislation.
    — Nik Popli, Time, 13 July 2026
Definition of deprives
Verb
  • Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott dispossesses Virgil van Dijk and Semenyo secures the loose ball.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
Definition of dispossesses
Verb
  • Getting those details right is often what determines whether debt relief actually relieves anything.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Seawater relieves muscle tension and both physical and emotional stress.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026
Definition of relieves
Verb
  • Nomono also has a lighter version called the Stellar Kit that strips the system down to two lavalier microphones and a mobile app.
    — Damion Taylor, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Renasens received the Innovation in Recycling Technology Award for its waterless process that strips dyes and separates fibers in blended garments while leaving them intact.
    — Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of strips
Verb
  • Jaime Alas scores in stoppage time and El Salvador forges a 3-3 tie that ousts the United States from Olympic soccer qualifying.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
  • In a more conventional political drama, Daiva’s hunger strike would light a fire of popular protest which ousts the Soviet forces.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Definition of ousts
Verb
  • This frees up the mind to think of new ideas and make new discoveries.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • Officials say the technology is complementary to the physical wall and frees up agents for other tasks.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of frees

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Cite this Entry

“Divests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divests. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on divests

Nglish: Translation of divests for Spanish Speakers

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