BANISH Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

banish

verb

ˈba-nish

Definition of banish next

as in to exile

to force to leave a country in the old days, criminals were sometimes banished to distant lands

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Image With his father unable to perform in the United States and effectively banished to Europe, the younger Mr. White turned to the stage and screen. —

Clay Risen, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025 Inhumans does not exactly seem like MCU canon as it has more or less been banished from existence, despite attachment to Agents of SHIELD, outside of a brief cameo in Multiverse of Madness for Anson Mount’s Black Bolt (who was promptly murdered). —

Paul Tassi, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025 To banish household odors, create natural room scents, carpet powders, reed diffusers, and plug-in refills. —

Linley Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 2025 The 2020 campaign, which effectively fell apart in Week 2 on a mushy, injury-inducing MetLife Stadium playing surface and which ended for good with the 49ers banished to Glendale, Ariz., due to COVID-19 rules, probably earns that title. —

Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for banish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for banish

Verb

Around 70 are being exiled abroad as part of the agreement and will not be allowed to return to their homes in the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to a list provided by the Palestinian authorities.

— Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
The cease-fire agreement says all Palestinian prisoners convicted of deadly attacks who are released will be exiled, either to Gaza or abroad, and barred from ever returning to Israel or the West Bank.

— Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025