unseat

verb

Etymology: From un- (suffix meaning ‘not’) + seat (“to provide with a place to sit”).

1. To dislodge or remove (someone) from a seat, especially on horseback.

   “The frightened horse reared up and unseated its rider.”

   “I was unseated from my bike after hitting an unexpected pothole.”

2. To remove (someone) from an office or position, especially a political one; to dethrone.

   “After having lost her seat to a Tory, she succeeded in unseating him in the next general election.”

   “India has recently unseated China as the world’s most populous country.”

3. To cause (something) to be removed or replaced in its role; to displace, to overturn.

   “The Michelson-Morley experiment prompted scientists to unseat their belief in the luminiferous aether.”

   “Printed newspapers are gradually being unseated by digital publications.”

4. To upset the composure of (someone); to astound, to shock, to unsettle.

   “The Matrix (1999) utterly unseated audiences around the world with its mind-blowing plot twist.”

   “I was somewhat unseated by the strange noises outside my window.”

5. To come off or out of a seat.

   “We replaced the screws, since the old ones unseated too easily.”

   “When the feed-valve unseats, air begins to enter the train line and the black hand moves up; […]”