DEPORT Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of deport are banish , exile , and transport . While all these words mean "to remove by authority from a state or country," 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 might 'banish' be a better fit than 'deport'?

In some situations, the words banish and deport are roughly equivalent. However, banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own. // banished for seditious activities

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

The synonyms exile and deport are sometimes interchangeable, but 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: When is 'transport' a more appropriate choice than 'deport'?

The meanings of transport and deport largely overlap; however, transport implies sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony. // a convict who was transported to Australia

deport

verb

di-ˈpȯrt

Definition of deport

as in to exile

to force to leave a country deported them back to their country of birth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to acquit

to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way deported herself with grace and propriety at the country club cotillion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the verb deport contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deport are banish, exile, and transport. While all these words mean "to remove by authority from a state or country," 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 might banish be a better fit than deport?

In some situations, the words banish and deport are roughly equivalent. However, banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own.

banished for seditious activities

When is it sensible to use exile instead of deport?

The synonyms exile and deport are sometimes interchangeable, but exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country.

a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

When is transport a more appropriate choice than deport?

The meanings of transport and deport largely overlap; 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 deport The arrangements have drawn mounting scrutiny, most recently after migrants deported to Equatorial Guinea were held at gunpoint and beaten. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Nazis wanted to deport Veria’s entire Jewish community, and Daniel and his father escaped from a synagogue after police blocked its entrance. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026 The majority of those deported so far – around 20,000 – were transported to Mexico, while others have been flown to Latin America, Africa, central Asia and the Caribbean. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 22 Sep. 2026 His attorneys filed a federal lawsuit seeking his release and an order preventing the government from deporting him while the shooting and the circumstances surrounding it are investigated. — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deport

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deport

Verb

The celebrity kingmaker had finally been officially exiled from the royal court.

— Lindsey Weber, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026
Conversely, what appeared to be an inappropriate relationship with an NFL coach might have doomed Diana Russini’s career at The Athletic, but doesn’t appear likely to exile her from the industry.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of exile

Verb

He was accused and convicted in the first trial, then acquitted, only to be charged again — through his associates — with being the Monster of Florence.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Jurors also acquitted him of misdemeanor assault on a federal officer.

— Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of acquit

Verb

Shortly after King Charles stripped him of his titles and banished him from his home at Royal Lodge, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in office.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 Oct. 2026
Drake Baldwin banished any fears of a sophomore slump by having his first All-Star season.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of banish

Verb

An ammunition depot was hit, as were a bulk carrier in the Chornomorsk port carrying dual-use goods and port infrastructure in Izmail, the ministry said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
As the hundreds of thousands of people made their way down the narrow roads following the politician, a few rerouted into the industry event, still carrying big flags and with faces lit up with hope.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of carry

Verb

By naming the product of two mergers Skydance, David Ellison relegates two of Hollywood’s founding studios to a sub-brand stew and attempts to erase a bunch of controversial hires.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
This is not something that’s relegated to a few institutions.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of relegate

Verb

Along with the Vancouver Art Gallery (a former court house) and the nearby Hotel Georgia, the Hotel Vancouver is one of the three anchors that determined how downtown Vancouver was built, and how the neighborhood behaves today.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Researchers will use those collisions to probe the internal structure of matter and study how quarks and gluons, the fundamental particles responsible for building protons and neutrons, behave inside atomic nuclei.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of behave

Cite this Entry

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“Deport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deport. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deport

verb

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