DEFECT (FROM) Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

defect (from)

verb

di-ˈfekt

Definition of defect (from)

as in to desert

to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another soldiers defected from the rebel army en masse as the failure of their cause became apparent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defect (from)

Verb

Propped up by strong finishing, Tottenham were on 11 points at this stage a year ago, but soon reverted to their relegation-battling baseline once that ruthlessness deserted them.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Asked whether Vuitton needed to take more drastic action to win back aspirational consumers, who have deserted the luxury sector in droves, Cabanis cautioned against lowering prices.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of desert

Verb

But big pharmaceutical companies have largely abandoned the quest for new antibiotics, because the research and development needed to discover them is time-consuming and expensive.

— Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
They are joined by other Democrats who have spent years trying to push the party to abandon its more cautious approach to governing, and could now get their chance.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of abandon

Verb

Shadab completed his century by playing a late cut off Atkinson for his 12th boundary before hitting the fast bowler over long off for a six to reduce the target to three runs off the final three overs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Sometimes that manifests in small ways, such as when media relations staffers cut off a news conference early in the hope of ingratiating themselves to a player.

— Stephanie Apstein, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut off

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.

Browse Nearby Words

defected (from)

defect (from)

defecting

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Defect (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defect%20%28from%29. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of defect (from)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes