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.

One North Korean, who defected while studying in Poland in 1989, put it more succinctly: “When I was in North Korea, I thought Kim Il Sung was God.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Mr. Magyar defected to the opposition Tisza party, buoying it in the 2024 European Parliament elections to win more than 29% of the vote, second only to Fidesz.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

The Christian-majority force consisted of defected Lebanese army officers and soldiers, as well as recruits from the area, and was loyal to Israel.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Five players defected from the Iran women’s soccer team Monday after the team’s final match in the Asian Women’s Cup in Australia and have applied for asylum with the Australian Federal Police, according to reports.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Philby had not yet been revealed as a Soviet spy, but two of his colleagues, Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess, had just defected to the Soviet Union.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell