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

The passage echoes Whitehead’s response to 9/11, as Carney mourns the neighborhood that the Twin Towers would supplant. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

With the games having kicked off, the sport has shown its ineffable power to supplant crass and capitalistic overreach. — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 16 June 2026

At the newlyweds’ reception, sushi boats and shrimp ceviche spoons supplant tabbouleh. — Ani Duzdabanyan, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026

Speed was expected to supplant comfort, eventually. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026