OUST Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'oust' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of oust are eject , evict , and expel . While all these words mean "to drive or force out," oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion. // police ousted the squatters

Q: When would 'eject' be a good substitute for 'oust'?

The words eject and oust 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

Q: In what contexts can 'evict' take the place of 'oust'?

The synonyms evict and oust are sometimes interchangeable, but evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home. // evicted for nonpayment of rent

Q: When might 'expel' be a better fit than 'oust'?

While the synonyms expel and oust are close in meaning, expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical. // a student expelled from college

oust

verb

ˈau̇st

Definition of oust

as in to eject

to drive or force out she was ousted from her job after it was proven she'd been pilfering company supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to depose

to remove from a position of prominence or power (as a throne) the people finally rose up and ousted the corrupt dictator

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to evict

to end the occupancy or possession of the squatters were forcibly ousted from the abandoned building

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb oust contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of oust are eject, evict, and expel. While all these words mean "to drive or force out," oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

When would eject be a good substitute for oust?

The words eject and oust 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

In what contexts can evict take the place of oust?

The synonyms evict and oust are sometimes interchangeable, but evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

When might expel be a better fit than oust?

While the synonyms expel and oust are close in meaning, expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

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 oust Prosecutors allege Al-Marimi and others carried out the bombing at the direction of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was ousted and killed during a 2011 civil war. — Michael Kunzelman, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Postwar Germany ran a denazification program, for example, while recent elections in Ukraine ousted corrupt, pro-Moscow leaders. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026 Its economy is in shambles, its proxies have been decimated by Israel and its allies in Iraq have been ousted. — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 23 Aug. 2026 His comments, released to reporters on Sunday, ‌were Zelenskyy’s first on the subject since ousted former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime poll in a bombshell address last week. — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oust

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oust

Verb

Plate umpire Alan Porter tossed Vitello and first-base ump Jim Wolf ejected Webb, who was not pitching Friday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Days later, a former NBA player who has used the WNBA as a vehicle for anti-trans advocacy was ejected from a Chicago Sky game, after engaging in an altercation with team guard Natasha Cloud.

— Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of eject

Verb

Paxton wasn't a defendant in the suit, but as the company's former attorney, he was deposed in 2019 and in 2022.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
The good news is the world has not seen a successful military coup since November of last year, when soldiers deposed the president of Guinea-Bissau on the coast of West Africa.

— Keith B. Richburg, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of depose

Verb

Three notices in a year's time and the landlord has the right to evict a tenant.

— John Ramos, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
That’s partly why the British royal family has recently tried to distance themselves from the disgraced ex-prince, to the point that he was stripped of his titles and evicted from his home at Royal Lodge.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of evict

Verb

Co-owner John Mara is battling cancer, and co-owner Steve Tisch is laying low after being outed in the Epstein Files.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026
Then the rest of the game occurred, a 20-12 victory in which Ty Simpson emerged with arguably the best rookie quarterback outing across the league over the weekend.

— Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of out

Verb

After Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the militant group once led by Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Shara, toppled the Assad regime at the end of 2024, regional trade began to trickle back in.

— Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Adam had been working out at the gym when the man on the running machine next to him had toppled off it while watching a replay of the previous night’s Champions League highlights.

— Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of topple

Verb

This annual launch window systematically overshadows events like IFA Berlin, depriving mid-range Android devices of crucial media attention.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Perpetuals never expire, negating the need to roll contracts and depriving exchanges of a lucrative revenue stream.

— Oliver Renick, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of deprive

Verb

Secretary Victor Lozier, who led the campaign to unseat de Borbon and wants strict management of Airbnbs, is CEO of VoilaRentals.

— Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
But as the Republican officials pushing to unseat him chatted at the breakfast, Cleaver expressed confidence in his ability to win over his new constituents.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of unseat

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ounces

oust

ousted

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“Oust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oust. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of oust

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