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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for defect (from)

Verb

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
In March, Fedorov said about 2 million Ukrainian men were evading service, while about 200,000 soldiers had deserted or left their units without authorization.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of desert

Verb

Executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP and TotalEnergies abandoned the event, the FT reported, due to the potential danger.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
In Peru, the world’s largest catcher of anchovies, the fishing industry collapsed after the tiny baitfish abandoned the country’s waters for cooler northern climes.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of abandon

Verb

Quebec voters have twice rejected independence, most recently by a razor-thin margin in a 1995 referendum.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
For countries that rejected the open international order, as the axis countries do today, the benefits were far fewer and the penalties considerable.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of reject

Verb

The elliptical passage of time across the film’s broader structure also manifests more directly in how Tanaka shapes a scene, sometimes cutting off before the final word spoken.

— Kambole Campbell, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
The Cowboys will look to cut off the potential of a contagion being further passed around the locker room ahead of their Week 6 clash with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut off

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defected (from)

defect (from)

defecting

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

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Synonyms of defect (from)

verb

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