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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
The original plan in Iraq called for a rapid transfer of power to a group of exiles in the spring of 2003, followed by early elections and the withdrawal of all but 30,000 American troops by summer’s end.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
The latest episode is also reminiscent of the early 1960s, when Cuban exiles, trained and armed by the CIA, tried to infiltrate Cuba to conduct acts of sabotage and assassinate the leaders of the Cuban Revolution.
—William M. Leogrande, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
Anthropic, a company founded by OpenAI exiles worried about the dangers of AI, is loosening its core safety principle in response to competition.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Fearing for her life, Mrie fled to Turkey, a country more welcoming than most to Syrian exiles, and starting working for a nongovernmental organization training civilian journalists.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Invisible exiles lose families—parents, siblings, partners, children—and endure social ostracism.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
On Monday, several organizations of Cuban exiles and Cubans on the island who oppose the current government unveiled a plan for a democratic transition in Cuba that calls for the dismantling of Cuba’s Communist Party.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
The original plan in Iraq called for a rapid transfer of power to a group of exiles in the spring of 2003, followed by early elections and the withdrawal of all but 30,000 American troops by summer’s end.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
The latest episode is also reminiscent of the early 1960s, when Cuban exiles, trained and armed by the CIA, tried to infiltrate Cuba to conduct acts of sabotage and assassinate the leaders of the Cuban Revolution.
—William M. Leogrande, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
Anthropic, a company founded by OpenAI exiles worried about the dangers of AI, is loosening its core safety principle in response to competition.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Fearing for her life, Mrie fled to Turkey, a country more welcoming than most to Syrian exiles, and starting working for a nongovernmental organization training civilian journalists.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Invisible exiles lose families—parents, siblings, partners, children—and endure social ostracism.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exiles
Noun
-
Such hearings in the past have resulted in expulsions and even some students being forbidden from further university studies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
None of those expulsions came from Jefferson County Public Schools.—
Kathryn Muchnick,
Louisville Courier Journal,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those wars have also sent a whole generation of refugees fleeing those conflicts to this area, including Afghans in Vista and Iraqis in El Cajon.—
Ibrahim Al-Marashi,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
First, one of the strongest predictors of whether people helped refugees was having parents or grandparents who had done so during previous episodes of violence in their country.—
Catherine A. Sanderson,
The Conversation,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Koala Eco’s Natural Multi-Purpose cleaner banishes stubborn condiment stains and leaves a fragrant mandarin scent.—
Kristin Corpuz,
Architectural Digest,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, on Broadway, the Wizard only leaves because Glinda banishes him after uncovering more of his secrets.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
21 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Noem's departure marks a turnaround for a close ally to the president who was tasked with steering his centerpiece policy of mass deportations.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Department of Justice is gutting the ability to appeal deportations, in an effort to hasten them without recourse.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Ed’s high-paying job allows (or relegates) Jess to be a stay-at-home mum, her life devoted to (and circumscribed by) her children.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Shipments could also be diverted to the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, a roughly 400-mile pipeline in the United Arab Emirates that transports oil to a facility on the Gulf of Oman.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Also, strong steps against the Russian shadow fleet that surreptitiously transports energy products, designation of Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and other economic measures strongly penalizing Russia and aiding Ukraine.—
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exiles. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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