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.

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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 In the late 1980s, its ‌founder ⁠Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without the approval of Pope John Paul II, leading those involved to be excommunicated. — Reuters, NBC news, 5 July 2026 Six bishops and hundreds of priests belonging to the society have been excommunicated. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 2 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for excommunicate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for excommunicate

Verb

After contracting the plague, he was banished to a cave, where a dog brought him bread and healed his wounds by licking them.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Since nobody was banished, host Alan Cumming then forced the contestants back to the Roundtable the very next morning, and this time the table followed Victor’s lead and banished Tomica by a 10-2 vote.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of banish

Verb

The proposals, which are backed by the political action committee Building a Better California, include a ban on new taxes on financial assets and other personal property, a category that excludes real estate.

— SOPHIE AUSTIN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
The model excludes the influence of living organisms, allowing scientists to examine how a planet’s systems could evolve without biology.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of exclude

Verb

Zuma resigned as president because of corruption allegations in 2018 and was expelled from the ANC in 2024 for starting his new party.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
In 1998, after Baghdad expelled UN weapons inspectors, the United States and the United Kingdom bombed Iraq.

— S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of expel

Verb

In Panhellenic organizations, hazing looks like mental abuse—mean-girl behavior that ostracizes new female members.

— Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
In this storybook little village she is ostracized, acknowledged negatively by the town’s men for her fishy smell, insulted regularly when not being totally ignored.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of ostracize

Verb

Early exit Maryland defensive back Dontay Joyner took another twist Saturday when he was ejected for a flagrant personal foul just 96 seconds into the game.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Last month, a 42-year-old man fell to his death at Six Flags Over Georgia after being ejected from a roller coaster.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of eject

Verb

State officials dismissed the allegation as speculation but explicitly warned the Authority not to pay higher rates for work assigned to those $35-an-hour positions.

— Julie Watts, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
Insurance agent Ken McFeeters filed a lawsuit challenging the senator’s eligibility based on residency requirements, but the lawsuit was dismissed.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of dismiss

Browse Nearby Words

excogitating

excommunicate

excommunicated

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Style

“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of excommunicate

verb

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