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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Recent Examples of excommunicate
Ex-Prince Andrew has effectively been excommunicated from the royal family as a result of his actions.
—
Emma Banks, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
The Vatican promptly excommunicated Lefebvre and the four other bishops, and the group today still has no legal status in the Catholic Church.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
His brother, a defrocked Catholic priest with a Cessna Skyhawk aircraft and a Lincoln Continental, was excommunicated for marrying his secretary.
—Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The student movement should have immediately excommunicated him.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excommunicate
Emma Banks, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
The Vatican promptly excommunicated Lefebvre and the four other bishops, and the group today still has no legal status in the Catholic Church.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
His brother, a defrocked Catholic priest with a Cessna Skyhawk aircraft and a Lincoln Continental, was excommunicated for marrying his secretary.
—Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The student movement should have immediately excommunicated him.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excommunicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excommunicate
Verb
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By the end of that show, the anxiety and isolation that freight life in the closet had burned away, leaving a happy, hopeful ending in place of familiar narrative disaster; love is found, secrecy is banished, and all is well.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Something’s lost in the translation, but with dazzling costumes, hyper-energetic singing and dancing and joyful spirit filling the Nederlander, quibbles end up banished beyond the flats.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gilbert estimated that about 100 boys from his high school class were either exiled or left to their own accord.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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The last ruler of the empire, Bahadur Shah II (reigned 1837–57), was deposed by the British colonial powers and exiled to Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar), after his reluctant involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Under certain circumstances, these excluded victims and others who missed earlier filing deadlines can still sue the Sacklers directly.—
Craig R. McCoy,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Chinese version of Apple Maps doesn’t recognize the sovereignty of Taiwan, and the Chinese version of iOS excludes Taiwan’s flag from the emoji keyboard.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Eventually, the British expelled Argentina from the islands in 1833 and established the Falklands as an official colony.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
25 Apr. 2026
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The government later broke ties with France, the former colonial power, and expelled the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), which completed its withdrawal in 2023, ending a decade-long presence in the country.—
Jewel Bright,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Though ostracized in their time, people who resisted internment are now seen as civil-rights pioneers.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Miss Manners suspects that you will not be forever ostracized, or subject to any other repercussions.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Lake Wales boy was ejected onto the eastbound center lane of I-4.—
Elainie Colton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
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McCullough’s day ended early Sunday when he was ejected in the top of the second inning after arguing with first base umpire Cory Blaser over a balk call on first baseman Connor Norby during a pickoff attempt.—
Noah Gulley,
Miami Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As part of her agreement to plead guilty, prosecutors will dismiss four felony counts of perjury, procurement or false or forged document to be filed, and two counts of not being entitled to vote in an election.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Though often dismissed as bubblegum soul, the early Jackson 5 hits were intricate and infectious.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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