Synonyms

supplant

American

[suh-plant, -plahnt] / səˈplænt, -ˈplɑnt /

verb (used with object)

to take the place of (another), as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like.

Synonyms:

succeed, remove
to replace (one thing) by something else.

supplant British

/ ˌsʌplɑːnˈteɪʃən, səˈplɑːnt /

verb

(tr) to take the place of, often by trickery or force

he easily supplanted his rival

"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

Related Words

See replace.

Other Word Forms

supplantation noun
supplanter noun

Etymology

Origin of supplant

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English supplanten, from Latin supplantāre “to trip up, overthrow”; sup-, plant

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.

The games aim to complement human life and imagination, Ms. MacDonald suggests, not supplant them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Like every other detail here, that implicit complaint is dusty and ossified, and Mr. Williamson’s formerly wised-up dialogue has been supplanted by a grinding earnestness, with everyone constantly asking about one another’s feelings.

From The Wall Street Journal

China once again took the top spot as Germany's biggest trade partner in 2025, supplanting the US.

From BBC

The gains validate a bold bet by Charter Chief Executive Chris Winfrey: that cable could survive, if no longer thrive, by embracing the apps that had begun to supplant the traditional TV bundle.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, other rivalries—with U.S. allies on both sides—are supplanting the Iran-Israel antagonism.

From The Wall Street Journal

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