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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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

So, when Diana falls in love with Lalo, the King banishes him.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
Most of us reach for breezy linen pants and flowy maxi dresses during summer, leaving our denim banished to the back of the closet.

— Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026

Definition of banish

Verb

Joe, a Geordie exiled to Yorkshire in search of work, regaled his son with stories of Jackie Milburn and the three FA Cup triumphs of the 1950s.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
And last year’s constitutional reforms had already established a one-party system in a country where opposition leaders no longer exist, because they have been exiled.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 21 July 2026

Definition of exile

Verb

In the years leading up to the trial, Matar's lawyers tried unsuccessfully to exclude some evidence from his social media accounts and other digital activity, arguing that the government's electronic searches cast too big a net.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
What if Penelope’s waiting is her own form of aggression, a way of holding a space, for as long as possible, that excludes the men and their own attempts at power?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026

Definition of exclude

Verb

After coming into power, the Malian military junta expelled French forces from the country in 2022, citing protection of national sovereignty and a worsening security crisis.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
In his brutal eight-year reign, Amin was estimated by exiles and human rights groups to have caused the deaths of at least 300,000 people and expelled the country’s Asian population.

— Andrew Fifield, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Definition of expel

Verb

Three years later, censured by his Senate colleagues, ostracized by his party, and ignored by the press, McCarthy drank himself to death, a broken man at the age of 48.

— Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026
Carlos and Smith were ostracized for their actions for decades.

— Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026

Definition of ostracize

Verb

China refused to participate in the arbitration and has not fully complied with the ruling, causing some commentators to dismiss the significance of the case.

— Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
Beth Arbuckle and Wells Fargo agreed to dismiss the December 2024 case filed in federal court for the Western District of North Carolina, according to a joint stipulation filed Friday.

— Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026

Definition of dismiss

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excogitating

excommunicate

excommunicated

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“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of excommunicate

verb

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