displace

verb

(ˌ)dis-ˈplās How to pronounce displace (audio)
Definition of displacenext
1
as in to remove
to change the place or position of the slight tremor displaced the dishes on the shelves, but didn't do any real damage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to relegate
to force to leave a country World War II displaced people all over Europe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to replace
to take the place of inefficient methods displaced by newer ones

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to depose
to remove from a position of prominence or power (as a throne) the CEO was summarily displaced after the hostile takeover

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word displace distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of displace are replace, supersede, and supplant. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When can replace be used instead of displace?

The synonyms replace and displace are sometimes interchangeable, but replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

When is supersede a more appropriate choice than displace?

In some situations, the words supersede and displace are roughly equivalent. However, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

In what contexts can supplant take the place of displace?

While the synonyms supplant and displace are close in meaning, 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

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 displace Dodd insists that Dodd-Frank preserves rather than displaces state gaming authority. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2026 The peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, ended more than 50 years of war in which more than 220,000 people died and nearly 6 million were displaced. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 Eight-year-old Muhammad al-Shakhrit had survived years of war, displaced by Israeli strikes that destroyed his family’s home in Rafah and forced them to live in a tent by the coast. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2026 Inundated with messaging around AI displacing entry-level, white-collar work, many have sought refuge in trade positions. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for displace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for displace
  1. remove
  2. relegate
  3. replace
  4. depose
  5. relocate
  6. banish
  7. supersede
  8. topple
Verb
  • The full court reheard the case in January 2024, and in October 2024 ruled 9-8 that the NLRB had no power to order the tweet removed, citing the First Amendment.
    — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, according to a USFWS spokesperson, around 30 million lbs of invasive carp are removed from Midwestern waters each year.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of remove
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
  • Two lasers replace hardware Optical frequency combs work much like rulers for light.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • For Chisell, technology should never replace human responsibility.
    — Lindsay Dodgson, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of replace
Verb
  • How far might a nation go that had no kings to depose, no entrenched hierarchies to uproot, a country so young and iconoclastic and resource-rich?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, back at the family mansion, her brother and sister scheme to depose their father.
    — The Know, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of depose
Verb
  • Somewhere down the line, Sheridan relocated and retitled the show to Frisco.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The new creative director will make their debut in London, where the house relocated its shows for SS27.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of relocate
Verb
  • The Industry actress was banished from Season 2 of The Celebrity Traitors last week and has reflected on her experience on the Studio Lambert series in an Instagram post.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • At that point, the group had botched its first two votes, mistakenly banishing two female faithfuls.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of banish
Verb
  • Federal prosecutors brought charges against Cuban military personnel in 2003, but Castro himself was not named as a defendant until the superseding indictment filed this year.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Thus far, this trend is complementing new-aircraft sales, not superseding them.
    — Brett Berk, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of supersede
Verb
  • Then, SpaceX’s June offering toppled that statistic, raising more than $85 billion (registration required), including the greenshoe, underscoring the scale of investor demand.
    — Jeff Jacobs, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The 2024 trophy was held by Freddie Freeman, whose grand slam toppled the New York Yankees.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of topple

Browse Nearby Words

dispirits
displace
displaceable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Displace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/displace. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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