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that edition of the dictionary that you have has been superseded by a more recent one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

Jellies, the shoes of summer 2024, have been superseded this year by the laced-and-tied Top-Sider with the non-slip rubber sole. —Irene Kim, Vogue, 19 July 2025

Baumgartner's record-breaking flight was superseded in 2014 when Google executive Alan Eustace made his own jump from nearly 136,000 feet (41 km). —Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 18 July 2025

Those groups' ability to transpose the American songbook and European orchestral composition into lovestruck street-corner harmonies allowed gospel soul to supersede the popularity of blues while fusing culture and race into the juggernaut known as rock-and-roll. —Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The superseding indictment against Michael Gilbert includes counts of mail fraud and money laundering, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday. —Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 25 July 2025

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