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

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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 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 New Blood introduces new twists to gameplay to capitalize on that tension; this season, the Traitors have a $15,000 bounty on their heads, money that will be added to the prize pot every time the group banishes one. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 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

Bunnie Xo’s post-divorce fun is raising eyebrows after a cozy Waffle House outing with 24-year-old reality star Dylan Wolf sent fans into a frenzy over their age gap.

— Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian stepped out for a very rare family outing with their two daughters.

— Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of out

Verb

The limited prep area has forced me to be incredibly picky about which tools and appliances to display and which to relegate to cabinets.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
Artisanal weapons and revolvers have been increasingly relegated to rural areas, smaller criminal groups and individuals, while over the past two years gangs have been procuring larger numbers of more lethal weaponry.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of relegate

Verb

The stance has seen Newsom, who warns the passage of Prop 40 could see an exodus of the super rich from California, mocked and dismissed by fellow Democrats.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
The complaint was ultimately dismissed, and Iowa's Republican leaders celebrated the ruling.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismiss

Verb

Among the 105 people who were ultimately arrested, 75 are believed to have been deported to their home countries, according to local media, and 26 were released from ICE custody after their lawyers filed habeas corpus petitions.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Continue reading … EQUAL JUSTICE — Border czar addresses whether Ilhan Omar could be deported amid federal investigation.

— , FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of deport

Verb

While your parents were together thriving, which is a great story, Sophie Cunningham and her parents were being evicted from their home during the 2008 financial crisis.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
This May, the owner of the building housing Erica’s jewelry studio moved to evict her business, having already sued in a separate case for more than $255,000 in unpaid rent.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of evict

Verb

Businesses that rediscover its values will gain what their velocity-chasing competitors cannot buy, borrow, or automate.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
The settlers hurled stones with slings and set the groves on fire, chasing a group of journalists about 80 yards from the scene.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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