Synonyms of supplant

supplant

verb

sə-ˈplant 

as in to replace

to take the place of

old traditions that were fading away and being supplanted by modern ways

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word supplant distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of supplant are displace, replace, and supersede. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," 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

When is it sensible to use displace instead of supplant?

Although the words displace and supplant have much in common, displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When could replace be used to replace supplant?

In some situations, the words replace and supplant are roughly equivalent. However, replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

When can supersede be used instead of supplant?

The words supersede and supplant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of supplant

Plenty of professionals are feeling the pressure of artificial intelligence supplanting their place in the workforce. —Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Dec. 2025

Now the global order must be updated for a new era, one in which China—a supreme beneficiary of the existing order—possesses the wherewithal, and not just the ambition, to try to supplant it. —Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025

In fact, generative AI, which can supplant a human’s analytical skills, is taking on the role of a financial advisor for a significant number of adults, recent reports show. —Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025

Other conservative populists have lashed out against the effort to stop states from regulating AI, warning the emerging technology endangers kids and teenagers and threatens to supplant many American workers. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2025