Synonym Chooser

How does the verb deport contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deport are banish, exile, and transport. While all these words mean "to remove by authority from a state or country," 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 might banish be a better fit than deport?

In some situations, the words banish and deport are roughly equivalent. However, banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own.

banished for seditious activities

When is it sensible to use exile instead of deport?

The synonyms exile and deport are sometimes interchangeable, but exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country.

a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

When is transport a more appropriate choice than deport?

The meanings of transport and deport largely overlap; 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 deport Adams has also indicated some support for the president’s efforts to massively deport migrants. Richard J. Davis, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025 In addition to overseeing FEMA, the agency will play a central role in enacting Trump's campaign promise to deport unauthorized immigrants. Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025 The Trump administration has asked the Department of Treasury to deputize Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents to help with deporting undocumented immigrants, multiple outlets reported. Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 10 Feb. 2025 Immigration sweeps: Teachers are grappling with fear among students and parents that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will show up at schools as the Trump administration vows to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Daniel Wine, CNN, 10 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for deport 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deport
Verb
  • Since being exiled from Club 33, many of the members with whom the Andersons were close no longer answer their calls.
    Justine Harman, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
  • As per previous releases, a dozen Palestinians serving life sentences for killing Israeli civilians were exiled to Egypt.
    Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In a show like this, the heroes tend to be less interesting, but Jordan Fisher acquits himself well, and shows off the clarity of tenor, at the task of playing the cardboard hero Bobby Strong.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Trump was impeached by the House twice during his first term, but the Senate voted to acquit him on both occasions.
    Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • When cigarettes were banished from the airwaves, beer ads became even more integral to the game.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Each week, the series names a weekly ruler based on challenges that reflect the contenders’ personal stories, food influences and cultures, while the least successful chefs are banished.
    Peter White, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The Earth's upper crust contains around 3.5% iron, and dust generated on impact would carry these nutrients into the ocean, along with any additional iron that might be carried by the asteroid.
    Victoria Corless, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Furman, who chaired President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, argues that this approach carries similar risks to those that damaged the Biden economic legacy.
    Neil Irwin, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • When first created they were relegated to industrial use—cutting, drilling, and polishing rather than adorning fingers and décolletages.
    Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Sims had been largely relegated to a bench role after failing to make an impact in extended minutes on the floor this season.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Though the old stadium was closed in 2008, the new stadium was built across the street, and the wind behaves similarly there.
    Brendan Kuty, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Rich and poor characters alike behave badly on the show—but only the former expect to get away with their sins, and usually do.
    Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • They were allegedly left abandoned in an apartment when their family were evicted.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
  • No president ever proposed anything so unhinged as Donald Trump’s brutal fantasy of evicting some 2.3 million Palestinians from Gaza and turning it into a massive real estate deal.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Moments later, another body camera captures the inmate restrained in handcuffs being carried face down by three officers — two at his arms, another at his legs — through the entryway.
    Thomas C. Zambito, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Mary got another domestic violence restraining order on Dec. 30, an order the court extended on Jan. 22.
    David J. Neal and, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near deport

Cite this Entry

“Deport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deport. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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