unseat

verb5

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. •
   (figurative) 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. •
   (figurative) 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 come off or out of a seat.

   • We replaced the screws, since the old ones unseated too easily.
5. •
   (figurative) 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.