banish

verb

ˈba-nish How to pronounce banish (audio)
Definition of banishnext
1
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
2
as in to out
to drive or force out permanently banished the troublemakers from the youth recreational center

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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 Dylan immediately grew suspicious of Britney, since Danielle was so angry at her when she was banished. — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025 Advertisement Haynes ended up being the only one to flip-flop and was the deciding vote in banishing Reyes, leaving Haynes as the only remaining traitor in the game. — Megan McCluskey, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025 Despite continuing to deny the allegations, Rose agreed to be banished to MLB’s ineligible list. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2025 Though the episodes ended before Britney revealed her vote, fans are convinced that Britney votes for Danielle and banishes her based on how the episode was edited. — Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for banish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banish
  1. exile
  2. out
  3. relegate
  4. dismiss
  5. deport
  6. eject
  7. evict
  8. chase
Verb
  • The unlikely foursome's journey leads them into the Exclusion Zone, where robots have been exiled after Mr. Peanut (Woody Harrelson) signed a peace treaty with President Clinton.
    — Skyler Trepel, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Women filmmakers working on British shores like Muriel Box, Wendy Toye, Margaret Tait, and Jill Craigie as well as American filmmakers exiled to the UK by the anti-Communist blacklist like Joseph Losey, Cy Endfield, and Edward Dmytryk will also feature.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of exile
Verb
  • However, Ava didn't go down without a fight and threatened to out Deborah's secret.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Phil, who requested his last name not be used for privacy reasons, was 70 years old when an acquaintance outed him against his will to his Pittsburgh neighborhood.
    — Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of out
Verb
  • While most automakers have relegated AI to safety-system technology in current models, Mercedes' use of AI in the cabin is a new frontier for the North American market, especially for a vehicle on the lower end of a company's lineup.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Queen was left off the first team picked by the media and relegated to the second team.
    — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of relegate
Verb
  • Mearsheimer also dismissed the idea, adding that Russia would take extreme measures to prevent it from happening.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
  • At the time, Putin demanded that Ukraine never be allowed into NATO, and that the bloc roll back its military footprint in Eastern and Central Europe – which the US and its allies dismissed as non-starters, condemning the invasion as a blatant land grab.
    — Catherine Nicholls, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • Washington — President Trump has made no secret of his disapproval of a federal judge who temporarily blocked his administration's efforts to deport Venezuelan migrants suspected of being gang members under a 1789 law.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Trump’s hardline approach to deporting immigrants has intensified America’s already-stark partisan divide.
    — Brad Heath, Joshua Schneyer, Marisa Taylor, Sarah N. Lynch, Mike Spector, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of deport
Verb
  • McCaffery was ejected in his final game coaching the Hawkeyes, a 106-94 loss to Illinois on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
    — Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The Sun periodically ejects huge bubbles of plasma from its surface that contain an intense magnetic field.
    — Shirsh Lata Soni, JSTOR Daily, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of eject
Verb
  • Natalia was evicted from the apartment a year later and the couple was hit with accusations of abandonment and several charges related to the neglect of a dependent.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
  • As time went on, property owners evicted Kilgubbin’s squatters.
    — Robert Loerzel, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of evict
Verb
  • Equally, especially after letdowns in the Champions League and the cup competitions, Díaz has more dreams to chase at Anfield, knowing that head coach Arne Slot’s promising project remains in the embryonic stages.
    — Henry Flynn, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Chelsea were chasing the game from the 20th minute but registered just eight touches in Arsenal’s box.
    — Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of chase

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Cite this Entry

“Banish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banish. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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