1
as in exclusion
treatment that is deliberately exclusionary
Teenagers may act against their better judgement to avoid social ostracism.
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2
as in exile
the forced removal from a homeland
His family celebrated his safe return after nearly a decade of political ostracism.
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Recent Examples of ostracism
Columbia’s own antisemitism task force found last summer that Jewish students had faced verbal abuse, ostracism and classroom humiliation during the spring 2024 demonstrations.
—
Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025
The divide between the sexes seems to be widening, with many individuals reluctant to find themselves in the gray area in between, where ambiguity could lead to criticism or social ostracism.
—Jerry Colonna, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The resulting one-sided discourse means that views that don’t align with official propaganda often draw harassment and ostracism.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Yet men scarcely use them (often for fear of ostracism) while women do—resulting in their careers being disrupted while men maintain traction to advance faster and further.
—Susan Rietano Davey, Hartford Courant, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostracism
Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025
The divide between the sexes seems to be widening, with many individuals reluctant to find themselves in the gray area in between, where ambiguity could lead to criticism or social ostracism.
—Jerry Colonna, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The resulting one-sided discourse means that views that don’t align with official propaganda often draw harassment and ostracism.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Yet men scarcely use them (often for fear of ostracism) while women do—resulting in their careers being disrupted while men maintain traction to advance faster and further.
—Susan Rietano Davey, Hartford Courant, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostracism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostracism
Noun
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Grace's exclusion is noteworthy given her history as a crossover star.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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To join, universities would need to change several aspects of their institutions, including hiring and admissions practices, adopting institutional neutrality and the exclusion of transgender women from women’s locker rooms and sports teams.—
Lexi Lonas Cochran,
The Hill,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Some paid dearly for their dissent by losing their jobs, being sent to prison labor camps, being confined in psychiatric institutions, and/or forced into exile.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Oct. 2025
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The emirate has funded its governance in Gaza (at times at Netanyahu’s unwise request) and hosted its leaders in exile for years.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The exhibition focuses on the communities’ deep roots in various San Diego County neighborhoods — from Julian to La Jolla to Logan Heights — and how gentrification, highway development and discriminatory housing policies led to their displacement.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
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The title refers to the identification number assigned to each child before being sent abroad to strangers — a haunting symbol of loss and displacement.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The data is categorized into removals, enforcement returns, administrative returns and Title 42 expulsions — which were carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
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This antisemitic myth has led to expulsions and murders of Jews for centuries.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Not since the ominous days of the blacklist in the ‘40s and ‘50s have entertainers faced the threat of permanent career banishment.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
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Penalties can include ejection, banishment from NFL games and events, and legal action.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostracism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostracism. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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