defenestrate

[ dee-fen-uh-streyt ]

verb (used with object)

, de·fen·es·trat·ed, de·fen·es·trat·ing.

1. to throw (a person or thing) out of a window:

   A Portuguese bishop, accused of conspiring with the leaders of Castile, was defenestrated from the north tower of Lisbon's cathedral in 1383.

2. to suddenly remove (a person) from an important position or office:

   The chief executive was defenestrated after a corruption investigation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of defenestrate¹

First recorded in 1900–05; back formation from defenestration ( def )

Example Sentences

Asking conservatives who dislike Trump — and there are millions — to simultaneously defenestrate their party’s nominee, their party and their principles is too much.

From Los Angeles Times

The Democratic Party did indeed defenestrate its notional leader, at nearly the last possible instant and in dramatically successful fashion.

From Salon

He is now counting on Democrats to save him from the Greene-led extremists’ plan to defenestrate him and install yet another Republican as speaker.

From Seattle Times

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme her own amendment would restore "the jurisdiction of domestic courts, who are defenestrated by this bill".

From BBC

Johnson had a little honeymoon that allowed him to pass another short-term spending bill without being defenestrated by the crazy caucus.

From Salon