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.

“The past and present were endlessly intermingled,” Ms. Phillips recalls: “Every kid in town knew that West Virginia had seceded from Virginia to stand for the Union.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Half of the 20 expulsions were the result of a single vote in the Senate involving senators who represented states that had seceded from the Union, but had not formally resigned.

From Seattle Times • May 10, 2023

In the series, United Earth had seceded from the galactic United Federation of Planets following the catastrophic event known as The Burn that spanned the galaxy.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2022

He implored the president to change his policies toward states that had seceded, arguing that the new system “abandons the freedmen to the control of the ancient Masters.”

From Washington Post • Sep. 2, 2021

On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves living in the eleven states that had seceded from the Union.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling