defected

[dih-fek-tid] / dɪˈfɛk tɪd /

VERB

break from belief, faith

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abandon abscond depart desert pull out quit reject renounce revolt withdraw

STRONG

apostatize forsake go lapse leave rat rebel renege schism spurn tergiversate turn

WEAK

back out break faith change sides fall away from go back on go over go over the fence run out sell out take a walk tergiverse turn coat walk out on

Antonyms

STRONGEST

allow approve come continue persevere remain stay support

WEAK

come in join

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.

See Examples For:

defected

Reform MSP Graham Simpson did not resign when he defected from the Scottish Conservatives in August 2025.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

To reinvigorate demand among consumers who have defected to nimble local competitors, Sparks is touring cities to study fitness trends and dramatically expanding Nike’s local product-creation team.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Montgomerie defected from the Tories 18 months ago but was suspended from Reform UK last month after he criticised senior figures.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Kendall had been a key backer of Democrat Andrew Jackson in the 1828 election, having defected from Henry Clay’s Whigs.

From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026

Later, Celia would learn with sadness that the girl had defected while on tour in Oaxaca and was playing a psychotic housewife on a popular Mexican novela.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

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