Synonym Chooser

How does the verb oust contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of oust are eject, evict, and expel. While all these words mean "to drive or force out," oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

When would eject be a good substitute for oust?

The words eject and oust can be used in similar contexts, but eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

In what contexts can evict take the place of oust?

The synonyms evict and oust are sometimes interchangeable, but evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

When might expel be a better fit than oust?

While the synonyms expel and oust are close in meaning, expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

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 oust Delépine took up his post with Art Basel in March 2022, shortly after the international art-fair operator ousted French art fair FIAC from its longtime home in the City of Light’s iconic Grand Palais. News Desk, Artforum, 9 Sep. 2025 Monarez will be joined by Deb Houry, former chief medical officer and deputy director for program and science at CDC, who was one of four top CDC officials who resigned in protest after Monarez was ousted. Cheyenne Haslett, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025 Simultaneously, any realistic path back to a Democratic Senate majority will require them to finally oust Collins, the last Republican standing in the 19 anti-Trump states. Ronald Brownstein, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025 Horner was ousted from his role with immediate effect for reasons unknown. Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oust
Verb
  • Booker, of course, didn’t get that opportunity in the opener after Carter was ejected before the first play for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • After the opening kickoff against the Cowboys, a flag was thrown by the officials and Carter was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct just six seconds into the new season.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • When Nkrumah was deposed, all these films were destroyed by his successors, who wanted to erase all evidence of his rule.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
  • At the time, the president’s lawyers reportedly pushed for Murdoch to be deposed within 15 days due to his age.
    Martina Di Licosa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Perhaps she is not actually evicted.
    David Wysong, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Reilly failed to finish in her allotted 1 minute and 30 seconds and was immediately evicted.
    Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Sports piracy has become so widespread that even professional athletes, like Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (who was spotted using Streameast in May 2024) and Seattle Seahawks' Tariq Woolen, have been outed as users.
    Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The star linebacker then made a spectacle of his final preseason outing with the team.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • No subsequent franchise title has been able to topple that record, although many are betting on Last Rites to do just that.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
  • But that dynasty has long been loathed by Thailand’s powerful conservative and royalist establishment which, with the help of both the military and courts, has frequently toppled or tied up Shinawatra-run governments.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Rayner’s departure is another headache for the United Kingdom’s increasingly unpopular leader, Keir Starmer, and deprives his cabinet of one of its brightest political stars.
    Max Foster, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Others, such as the owners of the Firefox search engine, asserted that losing the Google contracts would threaten their future survival by depriving them of essential revenue.
    Michael Liedtke, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This tension is only underlined by the filmmakers’ insistence on using pictures of the real Warrens and their demon-banishing clients in the credits of most Conjuring-verse movies.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • This blemish-banishing formula includes witch hazel, algae extract, and grape seed extract, plus vitamin E to keep pores looking tight, rein in excess sebum, and shield skin from free radicals.
    Esme Benjamin, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But unseating Healey in Democrat and progressive Massachusetts will be a herculean task.
    Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
  • These results are almost identical to those of the 2021 New England election, as were the results of the race for New England local president, where Slavin once again lost his bid to unseat Andrea Lyman.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oust. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on oust

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!