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

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

Arabs within the SDF's ranks also defected en masse after Sharaa's army took control of two previously Kurdish-held provinces, Raqa and Deir Ezzor, leaving them at half their strength, according to Syria specialist Fabrice Balanche.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The firm had begun to evolve in recent years, but slowly: In 2016, it was dealt a shock when a star dealmaker, Scott Barshay, defected to Paul, Weiss.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

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

The following morning, more than 650 Woodhull supporters—including several dozen women who defected from Anthony’s suffrage convention—showed up at Apollo Hall.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling