Supplant, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Supplanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Supplanting.]
Etymology: [F. supplanter, L. supplantare to trip up one's heels, to throw down; sub under + planta the sole of the foot, also, a sucker, slip, sprout. Cf. Plant, n.]
1. To trip up. [Obs.] "Supplanted, down he fell." Milton.
2. To remove or displace by stratagem; to displace and take the place of; to supersede; as, a rival supplants another in the favor of a mistress or a prince. Suspecting that the courtier had supplanted the friend. Bp. Fell.
3. To overthrow, undermine, or force away, in order to get a substitute in place of. You never will supplant the received ideas of God. Landor.
Syn. -- To remove; displace; overpower; undermine; overthrow; supersede.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for supplant; he lists it under abolish, subvert.
Where he writes about it:
To supplant is more often personal, signifying to take the place of another, usually by underhanded means; one is superseded by authority, supplanted by a rival. — from subvert