1
as in expulsions
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 refugees
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 banishes
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
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Recent Examples of exiles
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Castro, who served as defense minister in the 1990s, was charged with ordering the 1996 downing of two planes over Cuban territory flown by members of Brothers to the Rescue, a group of Florida exiles opposed to the Castro regime.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
The charges revolve around a 1996 incident in which the Cuban government shot down two civilian planes belonging to a group of Cuban exiles whose goal was to rescue refugees in rafts in the waters between Cuba and Florida.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
Families of four Cuban exiles who were killed in 1996 when the Cuban military shot down their civilian planes said Wednesday’s indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro was a long time coming.
—Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Earlier in the day, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced an indictment of former first secretary Raul Castro, the brother of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in relation to the 1996 downing of two airplanes operated by Cuban exiles.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
For Miami exiles, Cuban forces’ shooting down in 1996 of two civilian planes belonging to the volunteer group Brothers to the Rescue – killing four Cuban-Americans aboard – represents a crime that has gone unpunished for over 30 years.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
In 1978, Castro surprised Cuban exiles by inviting them to visit the island.
—Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
There's a lot of talk about the Cubans and exiles and civil society outside of Cuba, but Luis Manuel is basically reminding everybody that there is this civil society inside of Cuba, that there are intellectuals and thinkers and artists and writers who are really trying to get change done in Cuba.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
The failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, launched by Cuban exiles with CIA backing, became both a defining trauma and a lasting symbol of unfinished struggle.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Castro, who served as defense minister in the 1990s, was charged with ordering the 1996 downing of two planes over Cuban territory flown by members of Brothers to the Rescue, a group of Florida exiles opposed to the Castro regime.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
The charges revolve around a 1996 incident in which the Cuban government shot down two civilian planes belonging to a group of Cuban exiles whose goal was to rescue refugees in rafts in the waters between Cuba and Florida.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
Families of four Cuban exiles who were killed in 1996 when the Cuban military shot down their civilian planes said Wednesday’s indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro was a long time coming.
—Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Earlier in the day, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced an indictment of former first secretary Raul Castro, the brother of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in relation to the 1996 downing of two airplanes operated by Cuban exiles.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
For Miami exiles, Cuban forces’ shooting down in 1996 of two civilian planes belonging to the volunteer group Brothers to the Rescue – killing four Cuban-Americans aboard – represents a crime that has gone unpunished for over 30 years.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
In 1978, Castro surprised Cuban exiles by inviting them to visit the island.
—Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
There's a lot of talk about the Cubans and exiles and civil society outside of Cuba, but Luis Manuel is basically reminding everybody that there is this civil society inside of Cuba, that there are intellectuals and thinkers and artists and writers who are really trying to get change done in Cuba.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Verb
This practice exiles him completely from the realm of literary fiction; some might even question whether Patterson is really a writer.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exiles
Noun
-
Iran also intensified expulsions of Afghan migrants around the same time.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Both lawmakers were unanimously reinstated after their expulsions drew widespread criticism as anti-democratic overreach.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Pakistan was left to deal with the fallout from the Afghan civil war that followed, which included accepting nearly four million Afghan refugees.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
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As civilians of the surrounding areas become displaced by the Fire Nation, more and more refugees, including Zuko and Iroh, who’ve been living off the grid, make their way to the capital.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
This rechargeable mosquito repeller is a bug spray alternative that banishes those pesky pests within a 20-foot radius.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2026
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When John begins spitting out his food, his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), worn down by exhaustion and anger, banishes him from the dinner table—the first in an unceasing series of maternal rejections.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And as our most recent research shows, mass deportations don’t create new job opportunities for American citizens.—
Elizabeth Cox,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
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Racial profiling is the only way DHS can fulfill Trump’s promise of mass deportations.—
Gaby Del Valle,
The Verge,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The move relegates longtime Renegades starter Luis Perez to the bench.—
José Sánchez Córdova,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Robby relegates Langdon to triage for now — there’s less of a chance the two will run into each other that way.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The film kicks off with a mysterious cosmic event that rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports the neighborhood to someplace unknown where, evidently, dinosaurs run wild.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
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The free, public Breeze 77 Siesta Island trolley transports visitors from downtown Sarasota to and around Siesta Key, stopping at five popular locations (including, naturally, Siesta Beach), and runs from 8am to 10pm seven days a week.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exiles. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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