BANISHMENT Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

banishment

noun

Definition of banishment

as in expulsion

the forced removal from a homeland when Romeo learns he has been sentenced to banishment, he claims it is worse than death because he will be separated from Juliet forever

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 banishment Any transgression of new standards of speech and behavior could put someone at risk of social banishment, in the truly despotic shape of cancellation. — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 The self-banishment of UEFA sides would raise the prospect of greater diversity, with Europe having won six of the past eight tournaments and accounting for most of the teams in the competition’s latter stages. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 Violations give the commissioner broad authority to impose severe penalties, ranging from fines and suspensions to permanent banishment in order to protect the integrity of the league. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 Indeed, any ambitious scientist had to be in the good graces of these Big Players or risk financial ostracism and effective banishment from the halls of Big Science. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 29 July 2026 But when she’s raped by Poseidon, god of the sea, Meddy’s banishment home as a snake-haired Gorgon forces her to seek a new purpose. — Janey Wetzel, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026 Sore from the torment of her family’s banishment, Espinoza feels the pulse of current events. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 Remember, this is Augusta National, where the surreptitious use of a cellphone is grounds for immediate banishment. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2026 Jamie requests an audience with the families and revokes their letters of banishment. — Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for banishment

Noun

Rights groups have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia since the EU agreement, including reports of collective expulsions, racial violence, arbitrary detention and abuses against Black migrants.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
Paradise Lost Milton’s 17th-century biblical epic traces the story of the Fall of Man and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.

— Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of expulsion

Noun

The group had already successfully pressured Avelo Airlines to end its ICE contract for deportation flights in January.

— Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
As Tom Homan had promised, the end of Operation Metro Surge did not curtail the Administration’s campaign of mass detention and deportation.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of deportation

Browse Nearby Words

banishing

banishment

banishments

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Banishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banishment. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of banishment

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes