EXCOMMUNICATE Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

excommunicate

verb

Definition of excommunicate

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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

Verb

After he is banished, a magical bracelet carries her across worlds and parallel space-times on a journey to reclaim her dreams and her lost love.

— Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
New Blood introduces new twists to gameplay to capitalize on that tension; this season, the Traitors have a $15,000 bounty on their heads, money that will be added to the prize pot every time the group banishes one.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of banish

Verb

The celebrity kingmaker had finally been officially exiled from the royal court.

— Lindsey Weber, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of exile

Verb

The exact current values are obscured because federal filings use broad ranges and exclude subsequent market moves.

— Luke Fountain, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Moreover, that $100 million plus projection captures just the store-level opportunity and excludes upside from Hoka’s nationwide online availability on Academy’s website, Matuszewski said.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of exclude

Verb

The seven Chi Phi members in question were expelled or suspended, but some of them were allowed to continue their education at the university following a monthslong Title IX investigation.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2026
So, data-processing satellites built to house AI computing will likely need massive radiators to expel heat away from their inner processing chips.

— Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of expel

Verb

Having those moments of vulnerability are the things that keep the audience engaged with him and don’t ostracize him out of the piece.

— Lisa de los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
While she was never found guilty of a crime, she was ostracized from society more than ever before.

— Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of ostracize

Verb

Perdomo Torres was ejected from the van and thrown to the ground, breaking his leg, ankle and hand.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Smith, who was riding in the left lane, was ejected from the bike and hit the pavement, suffering severe injuries, according to police.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of eject

Verb

The complaint escalates the department’s battle with the federal judiciary, which has halted administration priorities, dismissed high-profile prosecutions and accused government lawyers in some cases of failing to comply with court orders.

— Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
The state did not seek to dismiss allegations related to Morrissey’s statements to the media or to her agreement to log a cache of bullets under a separate case number, functionally hiding them from the defense.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismiss

Browse Nearby Words

excogitating

excommunicate

excommunicated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of excommunicate

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

regimen

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes