Synonyms

oust

American

[oust] / aʊst /

verb (used with object)

to expel or remove from a place or position occupied.

The bouncer ousted the drunk;
to oust the prime minister in the next election.

Synonyms:

dislodge, evict, banish, eject
Law. to eject or evict; dispossess.

oust British

/ aʊst /

verb

to force out of a position or place; supplant or expel
property law to deprive (a person) of the possession of land

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of oust

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Anglo-French ouster “to remove,” Old French oster, from Latin obstāre “to stand in the way, oppose” ( ob- ob- + stāre “to stand ”)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They wanted to oust Horning, one of the last independent operators of a major Western ski resort.

From The Wall Street Journal

When protests broke out to oust the Shah, she showed up for her community, a tightknit cluster of graduate students who were frustrated by his extravagance and tyranny.

From The Wall Street Journal

Securing safe access for U.S. companies would first require ousting armed groups like the National Liberation Army, or ELN, and remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or the FARC.

From The Wall Street Journal

It alleges Bass retaliated by ousting her as fire chief on Feb. 21, 2025.

From Los Angeles Times

I was a senator when the U.S. ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023