vacate

verb

ˈvā-ˌkāt How to pronounce vacate (audio)
Definition of vacatenext
1
as in to abolish
to put an end to by formal action the contract was vacated by the court on the grounds that the signer was underage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to evacuate
to remove the contents of vacated the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 vacate Despite the board's earlier reassurances that people could stay in their apartments, in this deal, the co-op owners had to vacate within 12 months. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 Even if the surcharge caused higher-income residents to vacate their apartments (which likely are over 50 years old and in need of substantial rehab), the median rents probably exceed the 30% of income level of New Yorkers most in need of housing. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026 Maxwell, 64, filed the habeas corpus petition in December 2025, asking the court to vacate her sentence, claiming a number of constitutional and legal errors had deprived her of a fair trial. — Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 The new ruling vacates the ban and sets aside visa denials made solely on the basis of the policy. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vacate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacate
  1. abolish
  2. evacuate
  3. cancel
  4. empty
  5. repeal
  6. clear
  7. overturn
  8. avoid
Verb
  • While his party debates abolishing prisons and owning grocery stores, Democratic Mayor Daniel Lurie is cleaning up his city.
    — Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Alabama has since abolished judicial override, the practice that allowed judges to order the state to kill a person even though a jury of one’s peers requested otherwise.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • There were no campers on site when the fire occurred, and camp personnel was safely evacuated.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Nine Americans total had been evacuated, Pigott said, up from five on Friday.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of evacuate
Verb
  • If the league and union can’t agree on a new contract by some time in March, some regular-season games likely would be canceled.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Another, who said a relative's upcoming interview had been canceled, described feeling confused and upset by what appeared to be an embassy-wide hold.
    — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of cancel
Verb
  • Beginning in 1908, after federal prisons opened in Atlanta, Georgia, and Leavenworth, Kansas, most federal prisoners were sent to these new federal prisons, and cells began to empty at the West Virginia state penitentiary.
    — Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
  • My biggest gripe with this cleaner concerns emptying the debris basket.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of empty
Verb
  • That includes prohibiting the construction of AI data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods, reducing the impacts of data centers on local communities, and repealing sales tax exemptions and other incentives.
    — Jack Fink, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • According to correspondence reviewed by ProPublica, the Joint Staff disagreed with the Army acting secretary, who said in a February 2025 memo that the program was redundant and recommended Congress repeal the law that set it in motion.
    — Megan Rose, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of repeal
Verb
  • The penalties are a key point because, though the judge could clear the players to be eligible, a school may still be reluctant to risk being penalized by the conference.
    — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Federal judges cleared Brown and Jimerson of roles in the killing in 2018.
    — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of clear
Verb
  • While the ban lasted only three weeks, both the number of weekly visits to the needle exchange and the number of naloxone kits distributed were lower than expected for at least the 20 weeks after the ban was overturned.
    — Paul Christine, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
  • His acquittal was overturned and the case was merged with that relating to the coup attempt.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of overturn
Verb
  • The second, Kiyosaki’s actual father, served as an example of what to avoid.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • When Mica went to her sister Sierra’s home to avoid these situations, Miller allegedly threatened to show up at the house armed.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of avoid

Browse Nearby Words

vacantness
vacate
vacated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All