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.

Andrew Rosindell, who has represented Romford in east London since 2001, defected in January and was later locked out of the constituency office he had occupied at Margaret Thatcher House.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Their families at home would have suffered had they defected to the West.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

A fourth MP of the current Canadian parliament has defected to join the Liberals, bringing Prime Minister Mark Carney closer to a majority in the House of Commons.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 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