exorcise

verb

ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsīz How to pronounce exorcise (audio)
variants also exorcize
Definition of exorcisenext
as in to discard
to get rid of as useless or unwanted please exorcise that offensive word from your vocabulary

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 exorcise Playoff rematch Looking to exorcise the demons of last season’s Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens? — Nicolas Villamil, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026 But on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta, England was a mere five minutes away, plus stoppage time, from going back to the final for the first time in six decades, and coming one precious step closer from exorcizing all its World Cup demons. — Sean Gregory, Time, 15 July 2026 Philadelphia came back against the Celtics from down 3-1 to exorcise some demons, too. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 7 July 2026 Naim and his overly anxious single mom (Mia Wasikowska) attend rote church services in which the pastor looks to exorcise the LGBTQ+ from sinful boys who like boys and girls who like girls. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for exorcise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exorcise
  1. discard
  2. dump
  3. unload
  4. ditch
  5. lose
Verb
  • Treating this salty wastewater is expensive and energy-intensive, so much of it is usually discarded because processing the brine at concentrators costs too much.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Prior to Harmony's launch, the last new room addition to the ISS had occurred in 2001, when Russia's Pirs docking module (since discarded) arrived.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of discard
Verb
  • Stocks rebounded to end a turbulent election week, which saw investors dumping companies tied to the artificial intelligence infrastructure build-out after Democrats flipped the House and Senate and some key gubernatorial seats.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Organizers staged demonstrations outside Tesla showrooms and urged investors to dump shares of the company’s stock.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of dump
Verb
  • Although the crew unloaded about half of the cargo, a crack in the hull ultimately caused the ship to sink, leaving thousands of tonnes of explosives on the seabed.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
  • My mother lived in senior housing so the kind delivery person would even unload the groceries and put them away.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of unload
Verb
  • The Watch Fit 27’s design is slightly different than the Watch Fit released last year, ditching the fabric strap in favor of a silicone band.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Her plan to ditch her small-minded ex-husband (who doesn’t appear in Season 2) doesn’t include sitting for rounds of speed-dating or waiting out a relationship that may never end.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of ditch
Verb
  • Days after losing the governor’s race by a wide margin, Republican Steve Hilton argued Thursday his campaign should serve as a template for future GOP tickets and hinted at a potential second run for governor.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • There is no tension between expectation and reality, no concrete regret or achievement, no shift in perspective, nothing gained or lost.
    — Vrinda Jagota, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of lose

Browse Nearby Words

exorbitantly
exorcise
exorcised
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Cite this Entry

“Exorcise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exorcise. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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