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

Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, who defected to Plaid Cymru last month, also said she was "not surprised" by recent allegations of sexism and misogyny within the party, claiming she had personal experience of such behaviour.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

However, in 2003, he quit the UUP and defected to the DUP.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 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

Yang Il-cheol, 31, who defected from North Korea last year, said citizens are focused on survival, having lived through fuel outages, starvation and chronic shortages of fertilizer, rice and electricity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

My mother embraced Edward after he defected from Dauntless.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

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