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

But last week, the replies were inundated with complaints that Letterboxd had defected to the corporate dark side, along with fearful pleas for the platform’s owners to reconsider.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

It was in 1990, while touring Europe with his hero Gillespie, that Sandoval finally defected from Cuba with his wife and son — and found the refuge he’d been seeking in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

But he has now defected to Reform UK.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

Another senior RSF commander, al-Nour al-Guba, defected late last month and was received in Khartoum by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

From Barron's ● May 5, 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