Synonyms of supersede

supersede

verb

ˌsü-pər-ˈsēd 

as in to replace

to take the place of

that edition of the dictionary that you have has been superseded by a more recent one

Synonyms & Similar Words

• replace
• supplant
• substitute
• relieve
• displace
• usurp
• displant
• preempt
• cut out

Synonym Chooser

How is the word supersede distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of supersede are displace, replace, and supplant. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

When is it sensible to use displace instead of supersede?

The synonyms displace and supersede are sometimes interchangeable, but displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When can replace be used instead of supersede?

While the synonyms replace and supersede are close in meaning, replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

Where would supplant be a reasonable alternative to supersede?

The meanings of supplant and supersede largely overlap; however, supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.

was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of supersede

Local standards of comportment and life style are chosen by each Dorf’s board of elders, but these can be superseded by higher authorities that control larger regions of the church. —Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025

Modifications to cold, collisionless dark matter, which, again, add additional parameters that are wholly unnecessary, failing to supersede the simplest cold dark matter models. —Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025

According to a Reuters report, the chipmaker is developing a new artificial intelligence chip, named the B30A, that will supersede the H20 that it’s allowed to export to Beijing. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025

The new maps would supersede the ones devised just four years ago by an independent redistricting commission established to keep politics out of the process, which typically occurs once a decade after the latest census. —Gustavo Arellano, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025

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