1
as in exclusion
treatment that is deliberately exclusionary
Teenagers may act against their better judgement to avoid social ostracism.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in exile
the forced removal from a homeland
His family celebrated his safe return after nearly a decade of political ostracism.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 ostracism
The press feasted on Duesberg’s self-portrayal as the victim of ostracism arising from professional jealousies — a target of cancel culture before that was a thing.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The family struggled with ostracism and loneliness.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Dissenting opinion brings ostracism, loss of work and grants and friendships.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
But this ostracism has also been felt more widely across Israeli society, including among the large numbers of Israelis who oppose the war.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostracism
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The family struggled with ostracism and loneliness.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Dissenting opinion brings ostracism, loss of work and grants and friendships.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
But this ostracism has also been felt more widely across Israeli society, including among the large numbers of Israelis who oppose the war.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostracism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostracism
Noun
-
The exclusion of the territories was explicitly tied to race.—
Austin Bussing,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
-
After someone puts themself on the exclusion list, casinos must deny them gaming privileges, the council said.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Lapid has been in exile in France for many years, and his last feature, Yes (2025), is a biting satire of Israel’s ruling class set after the October 7 attacks.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
-
On May 20, he was indicted by a federal court in Miami and charged with the murder of four men during a 1996 shoot down of two planes of the Cuban exile organization Brothers to the Rescue.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
For decades, residents have watched promises of revitalization arrive alongside fears of displacement and uneven benefit.—
Andre Dowell,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
At the Canadian Pavilion, Abbas Akhavan created a sensorial environment centered on fragility, displacement, breath, and survival.—
Thomas Rom,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The young Brooks’s disciplinary problems began with fights in primary school and culminated in his expulsion from college for threatening a policeman with a firearm.—
Rob Wolfe,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
-
The Board of Education approves the Orange County Depart of Education’s annual budget, also hearing appeals for expulsions, charter school applications and inter-district transfers.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The appeals court ruled in September 2025 that Mid Vermont Christian must be allowed to participate in state athletics, after two years of banishment had passed.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Like there was a demon in his lungs, fighting the last bit of banishment.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostracism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostracism. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
