as in to replace
to take the place of that edition of the dictionary that you have has been superseded by a more recent one

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How is the word supersede distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of supersede are displace, replace, and supplant. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

When is it sensible to use displace instead of supersede?

The synonyms displace and supersede are sometimes interchangeable, but displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When can replace be used instead of supersede?

While the synonyms replace and supersede are close in meaning, replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

Where would supplant be a reasonable alternative to supersede?

The meanings of supplant and supersede largely overlap; however, 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

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 supersede At the center of the case is whether the government’s national security interest can supersede the free speech concerns raised by TikTok and a group of creators that challenged the law as violating the First Amendment. Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025 The former president, along with Nauta and De Oliveira, pleaded not guilty in a superseding indictment to allegedly attempting to delete surveillance footage at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025 The superseding indictment alleges Ebisawa and his network, including his co-defendants, negotiated multiple narcotics and weapons transactions with that undercover agent. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025 He was charged alongside seven others in a superseding indictment returned by a Kansas City grand jury. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for supersede 

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Cite this Entry

“Supersede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supersede. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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