dislodge
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to remove or force out of a particular place.
to dislodge a stone with one's foot.
-
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
-
dislodgesimple
-
dislodgessimple
-
have dislodgedperfect
-
has dislodgedperfect
-
am dislodgingprogressive
-
are dislodgingprogressive
-
is dislodgingprogressive
-
have been dislodgingperfect progressive
-
has been dislodgingperfect progressive
Past
-
dislodgedsimple
-
had dislodgedperfect
-
was dislodgingprogressive
-
were dislodgingprogressive
-
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-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Lob's Girl" by Joan Aiken
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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
AI is a shiny new toy, but it can’t dislodge this basic reality of human psychology.
From Salon ● Mar. 30, 2026
Officials debated how to dislodge them from QRF headquarters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
They hauled up thick, juicy grass roots, knocked them against their arms to dislodge dirt, and proceeded to feed.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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
Then a torrential downpour floods the surrounding streets, dislodges the building and sends the kids floating out to sea, where they have to scavenge food from the other floating buildings they pass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2022
“PTSD . . . dislodges you from the weird tyranny of linear time.”
From Washington Post ● Nov. 13, 2020
But if the scow dislodges from its new location, Mr. Adames warns it could wind up behind Horseshoe Falls’ base, and out of sight.
From New York Times ● Nov. 5, 2019
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
The passenger—a 61-year-old Serbian national—had been wearing his seat belt when the window dislodged, and was partly sucked through the opening, a fellow passenger and a hospital workers’ representative told local media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The utility company told US media that, after reviewing video footage, they believe the cover of the manhole was dislodged by a truck.
From BBC ● 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
It was a cold that got into the bone, into the marrow, and would not be dislodged.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
On an untreated surface, dislodging a sulfur atom requires about 30 electron volts.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
Brad Currie put down Kushal Bhurtel with a tough chance off his own bowling before Brad Wheal hit the stumps without dislodging the bails.
From BBC ● Feb. 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
Perhaps she was dislodging a curl of rubber band from inside her cheek, or was she really smiling?
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
