BANISH Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'banish' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of banish are deport , exile , and transport . While all these words mean "to remove by authority from a state or country," banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own. // banished for seditious activities

Q: When is it sensible to use 'deport' instead of 'banish'?

The synonyms deport and banish are sometimes interchangeable, but deport implies sending out of the country an alien who has illegally entered or whose presence is judged inimical to the public welfare. // illegal aliens will be deported

Q: When would 'exile' be a good substitute for 'banish'?

Although the words exile and banish have much in common, exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country. // a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

Q: In what contexts can 'transport' take the place of 'banish'?

In some situations, the words transport and banish are roughly equivalent. However, transport implies sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony. // a convict who was transported to Australia

banish

verb

ˈba-nish

Definition of banish

as in to exile

to force to leave a country in the old days, criminals were sometimes banished to distant lands

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to out

to drive or force out permanently banished the troublemakers from the youth recreational center

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb banish contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of banish are deport, exile, and transport. While all these words mean "to remove by authority from a state or country," banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own.

banished for seditious activities

When is it sensible to use deport instead of banish?

The synonyms deport and banish are sometimes interchangeable, but deport implies sending out of the country an alien who has illegally entered or whose presence is judged inimical to the public welfare.

illegal aliens will be deported

When would exile be a good substitute for banish?

Although the words exile and banish have much in common, exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country.

a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

In what contexts can transport take the place of banish?

In some situations, the words transport and banish are roughly equivalent. However, transport implies sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony.

a convict who was transported to Australia

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of banish Drake Baldwin banished any fears of a sophomore slump by having his first All-Star season. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 With his brother, the former Prince Andrew, banished to a sad little farmhouse on the Sandringham estate, and his son Prince Harry consumed by the complexities of the English school run, the King might have hoped for a reprieve from familial drama. — Ashley Baker, Air Mail, 3 Oct. 2026 Though Kid Rock has not yet discussed his new album — or his relationship with Allen — beyond a brief Instagram post, past comments might offer a hint into his decision to include someone who’s been all but banished from the country music industry. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026 After he is banished, a magical bracelet carries her across worlds and parallel space-times on a journey to reclaim her dreams and her lost love. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for banish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for banish

Verb

Karen would absolutely be a Catherine Zeta-Jones character who has been exiled to Arrakis following a particularly contentious divorce.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Dahlan had previously been driven from Gaza by Hamas and was exiled in 2010 after a falling-out with Abbas.

— Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of exile

Verb

Some people condemned the work for outing Foucault as a fellow AIDS sufferer.

— Hilton Als, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026
Group chats pulled from Nolan Wells' cellphone show what his friends said before and after the Mississippi teen vanished in early July following a boat outing with friends.

— Skyler Henry, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of out

Verb

Garver struggled offensively in Seattle compared with his time in Texas and was relegated to a backup role behind catcher Cal Raleigh.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Instead, he’s often relegated to the role of good-faith interlocutor, trying his best to get to the truth of who Holmes and Evans are, the nature of their relationship, and their motivations for participating in this project.

— Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of relegate

Verb

Ben-Gvir dismisses concerns that such policies would cement Israel’s status as a pariah state.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Lower courts had dismissed the case because Asian American students were not underrepresented at the magnet schools compared with the pool of students that applied.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismiss

Verb

In fact, the state would soon be burning through more than $1 million a day to operate the compound of tents and trailers, which ultimately helped process and deport more than 20,000 people, according to DeSantis.

— Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Emma wakes up every day not knowing whether she and her family will be deported.

— Hannah Harshe, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of deport

Verb

The theme park operator announced the extra safeguard less than two weeks after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta died after being ejected from his seat on the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia.

— Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Where the investigation stands Preliminary information gathered at the scene from witnesses and employees indicated Kariem had been ejected from the ride, the Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit said.

— Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of eject

Verb

Rather than chasing fancy titles or splashy paychecks throughout her career, she’s gravitated toward jobs that pushed her out of her comfort zone, forced her to take risks, and taught her to embrace a little chaos.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
At Fox, the viewer is the star, or at least the north star, the thing that everyone is chasing.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of chase

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bang up

banish

banished

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“Banish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banish. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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