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

Social media site Bluesky has become the platform of choice for scientists, according to a new paper, supplanting Twitter/X in the years since Elon Musk’s purchase. —Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Oslo led to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, a political leadership that has supplanted the PLO, and is now headquartered in the town of Ramallah, in the West Bank. —Literary Hub august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025

Their music provided a suitably self-important soundtrack as Great Recession-era artisanal hipsterdom faded into the careerist hopefulness of the latter Obama years, when Everlane minimalism supplanted lumberjack plaid. —Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025

The Legislature approved a law in 2021 that enabled local governments to use the criminal justice tax for homelessness services and behavioral health, but also to supplant existing funding. —Tim Clouser, The Washington Examiner, 31 July 2025