defection
noun
de·fec·tion
| \ di-ˈfek-shən
\
\
Definition of defection
: conscious abandonment of allegiance or duty (as to a person, cause, or doctrine) : desertion
Examples of defection in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Saints New Orleans was one blown pass interference call away from making the Super Bowl, but endured offseason defections of running back Mark Ingram (Ravens) and defensive end Alex Okafor (Patriots). — Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post, "NFC preview: Will new coaching staff propel Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay back to title chase?," 5 Sep. 2019 Lee’s defection wasn’t even the worst blow to Johnson’s authority on Tuesday. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Currency Markets and Big Banks Now Prefer a Banker-Baiting Marxist to Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson," 4 Sep. 2019 Lee’s defection was enough, on paper, to deny Johnson a chance at a working majority in Parliament—which was already vanishingly slim and dependent on the votes of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, "Boris Johnson Takes on Parliament—and Loses," 4 Sep. 2019 Members of the House of Commons tend to sit with other members of their party, so Lee’s defection was immediately apparent. — Christina Prignano, BostonGlobe.com, "The most dramatic moments from the Brexit controversy this week, explained," 4 Sep. 2019 By the next day, McConnell had successfully blocked the bill, despite the defection of 11 Republicans. — Anchorage Daily News, "McConnell-backed effort to lift Russian sanctions boosted a project in his home state," 14 Aug. 2019 Previous SlideNext Slide Season one concluded with an all-out battle against the First Order, a tragic loss, and the defection of Tam to the First Order. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Kylo Ren makes a cameo in trailer for Star Wars Resistance season two," 14 Aug. 2019 The Celtics got pushed out of a (championship) window with the defections of Irving and Al Horford and somehow still managed to land on their feet with the signing of Walker, a three-time All-Star point guard in his prime coming off a career season. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Can Kemba Walker make fans forget about Kyrie Irving?," 17 July 2019 In very pro-Trump states like Mississippi, Louisiana and West Virginia, the increase was muted, since there were fewer defections from Trump and Clinton in those states. — Stuart Rothenberg, Twin Cities, "Stuart Rothenberg: How third-party votes sunk Clinton, what they mean for Trump," 6 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defection.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more