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 Online shopping titan Amazon reportedly blocked Muse on its website this week, stopping it from becoming a personal shopper on behalf of its users and potentially supplanting Amazon’s own AI agents. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026 Wagering on outcomes as a way to forecast election results was supplanted beginning in the 1930s with the emergence of quasi-scientific polling techniques developed by pioneers in survey research such as George Gallup and Elmo Roper. — W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 The stagnancy is nagging, as is the choice to supplant Kat as Season 2’s primary villain in favor of Frankie, a stopgap baddie played by Johnny Flynn. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026 For the first 15 years thereafter, terrorism supplanted other threats such as those coming from nation-states (China, Iran, North Korea and Russia), and our country took our eye off of existential threats to our security. — John M. Weaver, Baltimore Sun, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for supplant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for supplant

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

supping

supplant

supplantation

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Style

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

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Synonyms of supplant

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