dislodge
Americanverb (used with object)
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to remove or force out of a particular place.
to dislodge a stone with one's foot.
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to drive out of a hiding place, a military position, etc.
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dislodgesimple
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dislodgessimple
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have dislodgedperfect
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has dislodgedperfect
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am dislodgingprogressive
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are dislodgingprogressive
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is dislodgingprogressive
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have been dislodgingperfect progressive
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has been dislodgingperfect progressive
Past
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dislodgedsimple
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had dislodgedperfect
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was dislodgingprogressive
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were dislodgingprogressive
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had been dislodgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dislodge
1400–50; late Middle English disloggen < Old French desloger, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + loger to lodge
Explanation
To dislodge is to remove something. When you're choking, you need to dislodge the food from your throat. When you dislodge, you're moving something from its current position. When sumo wrestlers are going at it, they're trying to dislodge each other from their original positions. Anytime something is stuck and you want it out, it needs to be dislodged. When you're choking, food is lodged in your windpipe. That's a time when you need to dislodge quickly!
Vocabulary lists containing dislodge
Power Prefix: dis-
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Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans
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"Lob's Girl" by Joan Aiken
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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:
“Reserve currencies are hard to dislodge, particularly without a clear replacement,” Cembalest wrote in a June 23 report.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 28, 2026
In 1959, he fought the seat of Sutton Coldfield, failing to dislodge the sitting Conservative MP as Harold Macmillan won a landslide nationally.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Boon accused the gangs of keeping local populations in a state of "modern-day slavery" and said strong political will would be required to dislodge them.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
Research by UC San Francisco’s Sharon suggests migraine headaches predispose people to BPPV, by causing crystals to dislodge from their normal location.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
Mulch gave his rear end a shake to dislodge any clumps of earth.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
“Hold on, there’s a seed stuck in here …” She dislodges the seed and goes on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2023
The constant freezing and thawing of water in icy temperatures weakens the structure of the road and material eventually dislodges with the movement of vehicles, causing holes.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2023
In “The Phantom of the Opera,” it is the Phantom who dislodges the chandelier from the ceiling.
From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2023
It’s rarer, but a penalty shot can also be awarded if a goalie removes his mask on a breakaway or intentionally dislodges the net.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2022
We all feel the moment when the ferry dislodges from the pier.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Whenever there is a reshuffle at the top of government, it is worth keeping an eye and an ear on the dislodged, demoted and rejected former ministers.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
In a statement, Ryanair said its Friday morning flight from the Greek city of Thessaloniki to Germany's Memmingen returned "shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Utility company Con Edison said a passing truck likely dislodged the manhole’s cover about 12 minutes before Gocaj parked her car and fell into the open shaft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
In 2024, nearly 4,000 vehicles were recalled for a faulty accelerator pedal that could become dislodged and stuck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026
The Pocket Sneakoscope had become dislodged from Uncle Vernon’s old socks and was whirling and gleaming on the floor.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
On an untreated surface, dislodging a sulfur atom requires about 30 electron volts.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
South of Khartoum, the RSF has pushed through the Kordofan region, after dislodging the army from its last stronghold in Darfur last year.
From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026
You’ll recall Texas A&M dislodging itself from Jimbo Fisher in 2023 for a comical $75 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
Rough seas and strong winds are usually responsible for dislodging starfish from their seabed habit.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2025
The iron bars were a relic of the old régime, and no one had ever thought of dislodging them.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
