EXCOMMUNICATE Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

excommunicate

verb

Definition of excommunicate

as in to banish

to not allow (someone) to continue being a member of a group and especially the Roman Catholic church He was excommunicated from the church for his radical practices.

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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 excommunicate Vatican decree targeted bishops and faithful In a decree, the Vatican excommunicated the four new bishops and the two existing SSPX bishops who participated in the ceremony. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 In a decree, the Vatican excommunicated the four new bishops and the two bishops who participated in the ceremony. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 The July 2 decree said the two bishops leading the unauthorized ordination, held in Switzerland on July 1, had been excommunicated, along with the four priests who had become new bishops, which was widely expected. — Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 2 July 2026 The Vatican responded by excommunicating Lefebvre and the newly ordained bishops, though those excommunications were lifted in 2009 as part of an effort to restore relations. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for excommunicate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for excommunicate

Verb

Rhaenyra also makes the drastic decision of relieving Mysaria of her duties as master of whispers and banishing her from King’s Landing.

— Justin Kroll, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026
Sam Roberts, a longtime obituarist for the New York Times, wants to banish the euphemisms that attend death.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of banish

Verb

The Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973, and Crown Prince Pavlos’ parents, King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie, were exiled from the country, only returning in 2013.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
Joe, a Geordie exiled to Yorkshire in search of work, regaled his son with stories of Jackie Milburn and the three FA Cup triumphs of the 1950s.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of exile

Verb

Although umbrella insurance is far from perfect ― for instance, intentional acts are generally excluded ― umbrella insurance can provide much larger coverage amounts for things already covered by other policies with lower limits.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
That question circulated across the United States six years ago as the country reckoned with racial injustice in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, including who is represented by, or excluded from, our public symbols.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of exclude

Verb

He was expelled from the Communist Party in the late 1950s for criticising the government’s economic policies – and purged again during Mao’s Cultural Revolution a decade later.

— CNN Staff, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Cherfilus-McCormick said people should not expect she’d be expelled if voters send her back to Congress.

— Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of expel

Verb

Throwing a pupil to the media risks being ostracized from the inner circles.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Some are more comfortable than others with staging the show, like high schoolers Bones and Megan, best friends who have grounded heads on their shoulders about how they’ve been ostracized by their broader communities.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 July 2026

Definition of ostracize

Verb

But by the time of his indictment, Lorch was in failing health and found incompetent to stand trial, and lawsuits against him and the church were dismissed due to statute of limitations issues.

— Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 13 Aug. 2026
The lawsuit was dismissed Monday without prejudice, meaning the case may be filed again.

— Riley Moser, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismiss

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excogitating

excommunicate

excommunicated

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“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of excommunicate

verb

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