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

Plus a few other wackadoodles banished from labels, serving out their sentences in our nuthouse.

— Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Rhaenyra also makes the drastic decision of relieving Mysaria of her duties as master of whispers and banishing her from King’s Landing.

— Justin Kroll, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of banish

Verb

This thriller centers on disgraced or damaged agents of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service who have been exiled to a remote Greek island.

— Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026
After British forces recaptured Delhi, much of the city was destroyed and the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled.

— Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of exile

Verb

The administration also pressed allies to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks, arguing that the company posed a national security threat because its equipment could give Beijing backdoor access to critical communications infrastructure.

— GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Ocalan and other key PKK figures are excluded from the pardon.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of exclude

Verb

But the allegations involving his treatment of women led some of his GOP colleagues to at one point consider possibly expelling him from the House.

— Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Unless our work requires us to deal with it daily, our relationship with it ends the moment our bodies expel it in the blissful privacy of our bathrooms (or, if the need is dire, out in the open with only nature to keep us company).

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of expel

Verb

Throwing a pupil to the media risks being ostracized from the inner circles.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Some are more comfortable than others with staging the show, like high schoolers Bones and Megan, best friends who have grounded heads on their shoulders about how they’ve been ostracized by their broader communities.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 July 2026

Definition of ostracize

Verb

The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and taken to a hospital in critical condition.

— Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
Midfielder Yannick Bright was the Miami player ejected and is suspended for Saturday’s game at Nu Stadium.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of eject

Verb

Zhykovych’s lawyer, Anatoliy Ivanov, dismissed the allegations, telling CNN that Reut was the organizer and killer and was seeking to shift the blame onto Zhykovych.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Chauvin is looking to have his conviction vacated and the charges dismissed.

— Riley Moser, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismiss

Browse Nearby Words

excogitating

excommunicate

excommunicated

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“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of excommunicate

verb

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