exorcise

[ ek-sawr-sahyz, -ser- ]

/ ˈɛk sɔrˌsaɪz, -sər- /

to seek to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration or religious or solemn ceremonies: to exorcise a demon.

to free (a person, place, etc.) of evil spirits or malignant influences.

Nearby words

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin exorcizāre < Greek exorkízein, equivalent to ex- ex-³ + (h)orkízein to cause (someone) to swear an oath

ex·or·cise·ment, nounex·or·cis·er, nounun·ex·or·cised, adjective

exercise exorcise (see synonym study at exercise)

In the God-fearing, heavily Baptist town of West Memphis, devil worshiping became a scourge to exorcise.
‘Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory’: Its Road to the Academy Awards|Lorenza Muñoz|February 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Does it merely take a united family leveling threats all at once to exorcise some of the demonic powers of addiction?
The Rehab Show That Works|Natasha Vargas-Cooper|July 21, 2010|DAILY BEAST
He's certainly done a lot to exorcise the whole Reagan era, and this is him at his best.
Grade: Incomplete|Sean Wilentz|April 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST
If you cannot exorcise the demon of prejudice, you can chain him down to law and reason.
The Life of John Marshall Volume 3 of 4|Albert J. Beveridge

Several uncomfortable demons have taken possession of it and Jill isn't able to exorcise them.
The House that Jill Built|E. C. Gardner
It was plain, said the butchers, that the clergy were of no use; they could not exorcise demons!
The Princess and Curdie|George MacDonald
She had already been to a clergyman who should exorcise the devil, and who had judiciously directed her to me.
Religion & Sex|Chapman Cohen
Indeed, its visits became so frequent, that a clergyman of eminence was employed to exorcise it.
Minstrelsy of the Scottish border (3rd ed) (1 of 3)|Walter Scott