banish

verb

ˈba-nish How to pronounce banish (audio)
Definition of banishnext
1
as in to exile
to force to leave a country in the old days, criminals were sometimes banished to distant lands

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 For many parts of the U.S., banishing cars simply isn’t realistic in the absence of comprehensive public transportation and high-density redesigns that often lack political or taxpayer backing. —Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 21 Mar. 2025 Patrick, born Roman, raised Welsh, and famously credited with banishing snakes from Ireland (a reptilian issue geology had resolved millennia before) dominates the global imagination. —Gemma Allen, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 Cocktails are designed to be part of the show, like a Samurai Old Fashioned banished with flaming cinnamon. —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025 The Faithful contestants left once all the Traitors are banished split the prize money. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for banish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banish
  1. exile
  2. out
  3. relegate
  4. dismiss
  5. deport
  6. eject
  7. evict
  8. chase
Verb
  • The powerful producer Scott Rudin was exiled from entertainment after accusations of bullying.
    — Matthew Cullen, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Soon, though, we were all exiled—I was arrested, just picked up off the street and thrown in jail.
    — Corey Seymour, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of exile
Verb
  • The sudden change reportedly outed multiple students who are transgender or have legal name changes.
    — Andrew King, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Lifestyle gurus of all types (none outed as serial killers to date) closely document their rise-and-grind rituals, encouraging followers to seize the day with healthy and intentional choices.
    — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of out
Verb
  • There followed a surreal half-time chat between Chapman and Poyet about his dismissal, with the game relegated to a sideshow, as fellow pundit Efan Ekoku shifted awkwardly in his seat.
    — Tom Burrows, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The herb once relegated to savory cooking has begun popping up in cocktails, as more bartenders enlist its unique flavor to liven up recipes.
    — Kevin Gray, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of relegate
Verb
  • The company filed two motions to dismiss the case, one for lack of jurisdiction and the other on grounds that consumer fraud laws do not govern editorial speech.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The Trump administration is investigating government lawyers who prosecuted Jan. 6 rioters — and will do the same for prosecutors who refused to dismiss corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York.
    — Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • As the administration extracts concessions from universities and seeks to deport students based on their participation in protests, experts are raising questions about the future of the American academy and the country’s larger place on the world stage.
    — Anna North, Vox, 3 Apr. 2025
  • He then was deported and lived the next 14 years in Mexico while working to secure US citizenship.
    — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of deport
Verb
  • After a month-long pause, during which the Kremlin’s priority was to eject a strong Ukrainian force from western Russia’s Kursk Oblast, the Russians are on the attack again outside Pokrovsk, a fortress city in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
    — David Axe, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Reid, DiVincenzo, Holland, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser, Bickerstaff, 46, and Prigioni, 47, were all ejected from the game, NBA.com reported.
    — Escher Walcott, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of eject
Verb
  • He was being evicted from the property where the animals resided and allegedly denied access when authorities took him into custody Wednesday.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Denying lawyers for the unemployed and evicted In some counties that have invested in public defender offices, indigent defense has been transformed.
    — Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of evict
Verb
  • That hits not just collectors but everyday drinkers who look forward to getting their hands on a solid bottle without having to chase it down.
    — Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Catch up on the latest energy news: PRO: To chase or not to chase?
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of chase

Browse Nearby Words

bang up
banish
banished
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Cite this Entry

“Banish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banish. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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