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excommunicate

verb

Definition of excommunicatenext
as in to banish
to not allow (someone) to continue being a member of a group and especially the Roman Catholic church He was excommunicated from the church for his radical practices.

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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 excommunicate Vatican decree targeted bishops and faithful In a decree, the Vatican excommunicated the four new bishops and the two existing SSPX bishops who participated in the ceremony. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 In a decree, the Vatican excommunicated the four new bishops and the two bishops who participated in the ceremony. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 The July 2 decree said the two bishops leading the unauthorized ordination, held in Switzerland on July 1, had been excommunicated, along with the four priests who had become new bishops, which was widely expected. — Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 2 July 2026 The Vatican responded by excommunicating Lefebvre and the newly ordained bishops, though those excommunications were lifted in 2009 as part of an effort to restore relations. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for excommunicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excommunicate
  1. banish
  2. exile
  3. exclude
  4. expel
  5. ostracize
  6. eject
  7. dismiss
Verb
  • With an almost puritanical zeal, Pavese sought to banish rhetoric and image.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Now, after King Charles stripped her and Andrew of the titles of Duke and Duchess of York and banished them from Royal Lodge, Fergie is reportedly seeking a face-to-face meeting with Charles.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of banish
Verb
  • Conversely, what appeared to be an inappropriate relationship with an NFL coach might have doomed Diana Russini’s career at The Athletic, but doesn’t appear likely to exile her from the industry.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The outlet notes that at the same referendum, male heirs of Italy’s last king (aka sons of the Savoy family) were exiled and barred from ever entering the country.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of exile
Verb
  • The sticking point in debate negotiations was over whether Marshall qualified under a provision in Nexstar’s national debate participation criteria that excludes candidates who didn’t raise at least 25% of their campaign funds from in-state donors.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
  • That job will include all entertainment and sports bookings at the venues (excluding the New York Rangers and New York Knicks), as well as live bookings at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of exclude
Verb
  • Her most pressing fear was being expelled by her Thai landlord.
    — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This wasn’t true—in fact, Qatar had declined to formally expel Hamas leaders from Doha, despite requests from American officials.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of expel
Verb
  • While she was never found guilty of a crime, she was ostracized from society more than ever before.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Some felt ostracized by family and peers who considered sustainable farming and environmentalism itself to be anti-farmer and anti-rural.
    — Sydney Giacalone, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of ostracize
Verb
  • Thankfully, the emergency abort escape system ejected their Soyuz space capsule from the top of the rocket just two seconds before the fire caused the explosion.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The crash triggered an emergency response near Morro Bay, where the pilot was rescued after ejecting from the aircraft.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of eject
Verb
  • In previous orders, Kiir has alarmed observers by dismissing important officials.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The long-running lawsuit was filed four years ago, got dismissed the following year, and was later revived on appeal.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismiss

Browse Nearby Words

excogitating
excommunicate
excommunicated
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Cite this Entry

“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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