Synonyms of supplant

supplant

verb

sə-ˈplant 

as in to replace

to take the place of

old traditions that were fading away and being supplanted by modern ways

Synonyms & Similar Words

• replace
• supersede
• substitute
• displace
• relieve
• usurp
• displant
• preempt
• cut out

Synonym Chooser

How is the word supplant distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of supplant are displace, replace, and supersede. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," 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

When is it sensible to use displace instead of supplant?

Although the words displace and supplant have much in common, displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When could replace be used to replace supplant?

In some situations, the words replace and supplant are roughly equivalent. However, replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

When can supersede be used instead of supplant?

The words supersede and supplant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of supplant

Running back Rico Dowdle notched 239 scrimmage yards, the most ever of any Panther, supplanting Christian McCaffrey. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025

As streaming then supplanted sales and stars such as Swift hammered out their issues with Spotify, a new playbook was written. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025

Industries in which gen AI can supplant a human’s cognitive reasoning skills — like certain jobs in technology and finance — are most at risk, said Laura Ullrich, director of economic research for North America at Indeed. —Greg Iacurci,ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025

His Zen talk now masked his indecision, and he’d been supplanted by an unsettling, de-aged digital doppelgänger hellbent on a campaign of conquest and the Tron equivalent of ethnic cleansing. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2025