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
Viganò — who though excommunicated, is allowed to keep his Archbishop title — has been present on the set of the sequel that is currently doing exterior shoots in various locations south of Rome.
—
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
The fraternity's national parent organization also excommunicated the chapter.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 20 Feb. 2026
Ex-Prince Andrew has effectively been excommunicated from the royal family as a result of his actions.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 10 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
See All Example Sentences for excommunicate
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
The fraternity's national parent organization also excommunicated the chapter.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 20 Feb. 2026
Ex-Prince Andrew has effectively been excommunicated from the royal family as a result of his actions.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 10 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
See All Example Sentences for excommunicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excommunicate
Verb
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Nothing else is working to banish the creepy specter of Jeffrey Epstein from his life.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
The real promise of the Tick Tock is that the day’s rhythms have been banished from its bright cocoon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Nicaragua’s government has also imprisoned adversaries, religious leaders, journalists and more, then exiled them, stripping hundreds of their citizenship and possessions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Unmoored from the family unit, and inflated by success and ambition, she is left to roam the rainy hills like a beast that has exiled itself from conventional society.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
For too long, flaws in our democracy have excluded certain groups — like women and people of color — from full participation.—
Jocelyn Frye,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
-
Green shoots are appearing in the spending patterns of lower-income earners, with their consumption tracking up in recent days on goods and services excluding gas.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Staff estimate that more than half have had contact with the Department of Child Services, and most have been expelled from traditional schools.—
Maureen Bauer,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
-
Iran’s ambassador to Australia and another three Iranian diplomats were expelled.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
As if the police brutality were not sufficient punishment, certain friends and relatives ostracized the Mashininis.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
In 2023, the councilmember decisively beat back a recall attempt funded by Santa Ana’s police union and apartment owners who didn’t like her unabashedly progressive views in a city where centrist Democrats have dominated politics for decades and lefty ones were long ostracized.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The crash ejected the rider, who was then struck by another vehicle.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Harrison had 17 points and three rebounds before she was ejected.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The judge also dismissed a criminal charge related to possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine, according to Reuters and ABC News.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
On Wednesday, federal prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss all charges in the case, citing new video evidence.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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