evict

Definition of evictnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb evict contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of evict are eject, expel, and oust. While all these words mean "to drive or force out," evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

When is eject a more appropriate choice than evict?

The words eject and evict can be used in similar contexts, but eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

When can expel be used instead of evict?

While in some cases nearly identical to evict, expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

In what contexts can oust take the place of evict?

The words oust and evict are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

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 evict You cannot be evicted from your home from one day to the next. Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026 This arrangement held true for many years, but is seemingly broken now after both were evicted from Royal Lodge and went their separate ways. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 19 Apr. 2026 But without adequate funding, people may be evicted, Saxton said. Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026 Laura Zapata is the latest houseguest to be evicted from Telemundo‘s La Casa de los Famosos, and her elimination sent shockwaves through the house. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for evict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evict
Verb
  • Pautler recommends ejecting pods after each use, as well as occasionally rinsing removable parts of the machines.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton was ejected from Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals series against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center after striking Houston All-Star center Alperen Şengün in the head with his left forearm.
    Dan Woike, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • By the end of that show, the anxiety and isolation that freight life in the closet had burned away, leaving a happy, hopeful ending in place of familiar narrative disaster; love is found, secrecy is banished, and all is well.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Something’s lost in the translation, but with dazzling costumes, hyper-energetic singing and dancing and joyful spirit filling the Nederlander, quibbles end up banished beyond the flats.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Eventually, the British expelled Argentina from the islands in 1833 and established the Falklands as an official colony.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The government later broke ties with France, the former colonial power, and expelled the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), which completed its withdrawal in 2023, ending a decade-long presence in the country.
    Jewel Bright, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • That lawsuit, along with a countersuit by the PGA Tour, was dismissed a year later.
    Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
  • There’s too much effort, too much time, and too much sincerity apparent behind this film to dismiss it outright.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Over the past few years, several members of the Super Cartel that were living in Dubai, including Imperiale, have been deported or extradited to their home countries.
    Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
  • He was detained and deported and crossed again later in 1997.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Kelsy dispossessed San Diego in its defensive third, cut back to evade a defender at the edge of the penalty area, and skipped a shot inside the near post to give the Timbers (3-5-1) a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Calling his father and uncle gusanos — or worms, a Spanish-language term coined by Castro to denigrate those fleeing the island — the agent seized the bank and, in an instant, dispossessed a family that arrived from Spain in the 16th century.
    CBS News, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Andrew and Epstein cast a shadow Raising the stakes is the shadow of the king’s younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his royal title of Prince Andrew, exiled from public life and put under police investigation over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
    Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Raising the stakes is the shadow of the king’s younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his royal title of Prince Andrew, exiled from public life and put under police investigation over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Packers are chasing a fourth straight playoff berth after going 9-8-1 and losing 31-27 to the Chicago Bears in the NFC wild-card playoff round last season.
    Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Joseph Wright chased that question in the set of paintings that the National Gallery is currently exhibiting.
    Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Evict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evict. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on evict

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster