divest

verb

dī-ˈvest How to pronounce divest (audio)
Definition of divestnext
1
as in to evict
to end the occupancy or possession of unable to make their mortgage payments, they were summarily divested of their house

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2
as in to rid
to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers the former CEO has divested himself of most of his responsibilities but will continue to work with the company as a consultant

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to deprive
to take something away from he was divested of the boxing title when the fraud was uncovered

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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 divest The European Commission said Paramount, in order to receive its approval, agreed to divest its stake in a film distribution joint venture in Europe with United International Pictures. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 23 July 2026 This means the nonprofit governing entity—which is legally bound to prioritize the nonprofit mission over share price—can divest its equity stake at any time and still control the board. — Orson Aguilar, Fortune, 22 July 2026 Despite early concerns about potential dominance in the children’s television market, Paramount will not be required to divest Cartoon Network, a Warner asset, because of its ownership of Nickelodeon. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 In response to the campaign, states from Maryland to Michigan have divested millions of dollars in Israel Bonds holdings. — Danny Kaplowitz, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for divest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divest
  1. evict
  2. relieve
  3. deprive
  4. dispossess
  5. strip
  6. oust
Verb
  • Earlier this year, a location of Horn Barbecue in Lafayette was mysteriously evicted by the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Sooooo… Haley, Chuk and Kamu better find a way to poison Drew and Barrett against the icons and rally Taylor, La Trice, Mallory, Yash and, yes, even Melody to help target and evict the icons.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of evict
Verb
  • Campione supports re-prioritizing and accelerating infrastructure projects and relieving congestion on county roads, especially arterial and collector road projects, by pushing the state to replace outdated funding formulas.
    — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The outbursts helped relieve some pressure, but Nakashima tightened up as the prospect of making his first Masters 1000 final neared.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of relieve
Verb
  • That means that the people are deprived not only of their capacity to act, but also of their capacity to think and to judge.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The bipartisan legislation, which passed 86-11, would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports seeking to deprive Putin of revenues fueling the war.
    — Mary Clare Jalonick, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of deprive
Verb
  • The challenge was to see how many passes each team could complete before they were dispossessed as opponents swarmed all over them.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • He was tackled and dispossessed with the ball on a trajectory to the goal.
    — Monica Alba, NBC news, 24 June 2026
Definition of dispossess
Verb
  • During the Saturday general session meeting, Donna Soucy, a New Hampshire DNC member, defended the Granite State’s ability to evaluate presidential candidates despite being stripped of its former first-place status.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Those already in the country on programs like Temporary Protected Status have also been stripped of that permission to stay.
    — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of strip
Verb
  • Without Russia’s assistance and ultimate intervention, Assad would have been ousted nearly a decade earlier.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Nobody publicly confirmed plans for a leadership bid or expressed intentions to oust their leader, and those whose names were reported speculatively by news outlets denied it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of oust

Browse Nearby Words

dives (into)
divest
divested
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Cite this Entry

“Divest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divest. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of divest for Spanish Speakers

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