Thesaurus results for SUPPLANT

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

supplant

verb

sə-ˈplant

Definition of supplant

as in to replace

to take the place of old traditions that were fading away and being supplanted by modern ways

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 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 More than just a glorified search engine or a generator of video clips and novelty images, AI could fill roads with driverless trucks, create factories staffed by robots and supplant office workers, lawyers and doctors. — ABC News, 25 June 2026 Electricity replaced whale oil; automobiles supplanted horses; calculators replaced slide rules, and then spreadsheets replaced calculators. — Jessica Melugin, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2026 The stand-alone Department of Gun Violence Reduction would supplant the existing mayoral Office of Community Safety, putting under the new department’s control $100 million worth of programs currently handled by other city fiefdoms. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for supplant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for supplant

Verb

With no room for error, Sheehan was quickly replaced by Jack Dreyer, who escaped the inning scoreless.

— Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Buxton was replaced in center by Kyler Fedko in the bottom of the first inning.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of replace

Verb

China has helped cushion the global oil shock, seen its clean energy tech exports surge and framed the war in Iran as another example in which Chinese leadership could supersede the US in ending global conflicts.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
State Attorney’s Office prosecutors originally charged Bradly Shawn Shadduck, 56, with second-degree murder, but the grand jury indictment supersedes that charge, and he is now being held without bond on premeditated murder.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026

Definition of supersede

Browse Nearby Words

supping

supplant

supplantation

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“Supplant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supplant. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of supplant

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