1
as in expulsion
the forced removal from a homeland
the exile of French settlers from Nova Scotia resulted in the birth of the Cajun community in the U.S.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refugee
a person forced to emigrate for political reasons
after being overthrown in a coup, the dictator spent the remainder of his life as an exile in a string of less-than-welcoming countries
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to banish
to force to leave a country
with their conquest of the Moors complete, Ferdinand and Isabella next exiled the Jews from Spain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exile
Elizabeth Flock, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Some say the bill didn’t go far enough, and have questioned whether an amendment to one of the articles could prevent activists and opposition members in exile from receiving amnesty.
—Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
Sort of a contrast from the way Chris Paul was exiled.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exile
Noun
The migrant crisis in the forest and Russia’s war in Ukraine are intimately linked, according to Franak Viačorka, a politician in the Belarusian opposition, who spoke to me from exile in Vilnius.
—Elizabeth Flock, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Some say the bill didn’t go far enough, and have questioned whether an amendment to one of the articles could prevent activists and opposition members in exile from receiving amnesty.
—Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
Baton follows a soccer player (Ramirez), relentlessly pursuing his dream of playing professionally, who threatens his relationship with his sister after he is kicked off the team and exiled back to Miami.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
Sort of a contrast from the way Chris Paul was exiled.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exile
Noun
-
This was the first time demonstrators had called for the group’s expulsion.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Iran, Afghanistan's western neighbor, has also carried out expulsions, further straining resources in impoverished Afghanistan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Shah Alam, a refugee from Myanmar, had spent much of the previous year in custody awaiting trial on criminal charges that were ultimately resolved with a misdemeanor plea deal, according to Reuters.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Murphy’s guest to the rally was Fereshteh Ganjavi, the founder and executive director of Elena’s Light, a Connecticut nonprofit that supports refugee women.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Per their agreement, Maura and Rob vote to banish yet again, completely blindsiding a shocked Eric.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—formerly Prince Andrew—was banished from all aspects of royal life, including losing all of his royal titles and privileges, last October in a decision made by King Charles.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ending those protections could halt their authorization to work legally in the United States and expose more to possible deportation, especially the 800 people with pending applications, according to the International Refugee Assistance Project.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Tasked with the arrest, detention and removal of undocumented immigrants, ICE deportation officers were previously required to complete 20 weeks, or roughly 100 days, of training before beginning their official duties.—
Blake Ellis,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Alice is annoyed that Lady Danbury got to be on the forefront of desegregating nobility while she has been relegated to décor.—
Christina Grace Tucker,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Suddenly, the monstrosity of infinity, long feared by mathematicians, could no longer be relegated to some unreachable part of the number line.—
Joseph Howlett,
Quanta Magazine,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Border Patrol agents briefly took custody of him on an immigration detainer before determining he shouldn’t be deported and, later that night, dropped him at a closed coffee house alone in near freezing temperatures.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The federal lawmakers called on DHS to provide more information on the basis of arresting and deporting DACA recipients.—
Mathew Miranda
February 26,
Sacbee.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Two injured residents, a 25-year-old mother with severe burns and a 2-year-old child with serious injuries, were transported to hospitals, officials said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
-
It was painstakingly dismantled, transported, reassembled, and renovated—before debuting as Somoza several years later.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exile. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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