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

For the first 15 years thereafter, terrorism supplanted other threats such as those coming from nation-states (China, Iran, North Korea and Russia), and our country took our eye off of existential threats to our security. — John M. Weaver, Baltimore Sun, 10 Sep. 2026

The point of creating a story is not to supplant a person’s experiences but supplement them. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

That an event, no matter how catastrophic and impactful, takes up less space in public memory and is supplanted by new ones is, after all, how history works. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Spectrum also supplants the V-2, the World War II weapon of terror, as the largest German rocket in history. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026