Synonym Chooser

How does the verb oust contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of oust are eject, evict, and expel. While all these words mean "to drive or force out," oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

When would eject be a good substitute for oust?

The words eject and oust can be used in similar contexts, but eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

In what contexts can evict take the place of oust?

The synonyms evict and oust are sometimes interchangeable, but evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

When might expel be a better fit than oust?

While the synonyms expel and oust are close in meaning, expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

Examples 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 oust Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022. Munir Ahmed The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 18 Jan. 2025 On Tuesday, however, Tillis and Budd complained that some people in Western North Carolina were ousted from hotels with nowhere to go. Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025 The industry this year spent tens of millions of dollars to oust former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who was the most recent chairman of the Banking Committee. Stephen Neukam, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025 In 2017, Park Geun-hye, another conservative, was the first South Korean president to be ousted from office, after a corruption scandal that saw over 1 million protesters take to the streets. Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for oust 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oust
Verb
  • The crash occurred when the woman heading eastbound on South Brookville Drive near Hall Meadow Road drove onto the sidewalk on a curve and struck a tree, causing the vehicle to overturn and ejecting her, according to San Diego police.
    Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Fire officials said two people were ejected and located under one of the cars.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Though both were deposed, neither produced a single discovery document to the election workers’ attorneys, Liman ruled Monday.
    John Annese, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Trump's selection of Gabbard has drawn scrutiny over her lack of a background in intelligence, along with her views on Russia, recently deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and other U.S. adversaries.
    Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Its owners were evicted in 2019 so the building could be razed for future development, The Charlotte Observer reported at the time.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2025
  • The landlord evicted the TGI Fridays franchisee, Orlando Restaurants Inc., in October for nonpayment around the same time the chain’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 reorganization.
    Laura Kinsler, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • He’s had at least 70 yards in 14 consecutive postseason games — averaging 99.1 yards per outing over that stretch.
    Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Wiener’s office cited the case of a transgender woman in Stanislaus County who successfully sued to have her court records made private after she was forcibly outed on social media and at work by anonymous internet trolls , as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
    Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Fort Worth Eastern Hills topples Southwest Something had to give on Tuesday night, Jan. 14, at Billingsley Field House.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Within Anchorage itself, winds hit 75 mph, toppling trees, scattering debris and partially collapsing a pedestrian bridge over the Seward Highway, the city's main southern thoroughfare.
    John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Moscow is slowly taking territory at the cost of high casualties along the 600-mile front line in eastern Ukraine and launching intense barrages at Ukraine’s energy system, seeking to deprive its people of heat and light in the depths of winter.
    Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Moscow is slowly taking territory at the cost of high casualties along the 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line in eastern Ukraine and launching intense barrages at Ukraine’s energy system, seeking to deprive Ukrainians of heat and light in the depths of winter.
    Fox News, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Drag Queen was the first traitor to be caught and banished by the faithfuls.
    Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
  • And for those with a penchant for Camelot and reality TV competition shows, there’s also a King Arthur roundtable where residents and guests can debate which suspected traitor should be banished next.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Miami Dolphins were actually being picked by many experts to unseat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East and make a run at the Super Bowl with an explosive offense featuring Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill.
    Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The Washington Post has reported that Trump may spend as much as $2 million to unseat his arch-foe, Mayor Edward I. Koch.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near oust

Cite this Entry

“Oust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oust. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

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