as in barren
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
we were lost in the desert for days without food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in discipline
usually deserts plural
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
the robbers got their just deserts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to abandon
to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another
the volunteer became disillusioned with his candidate and deserted to a political rival
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to leave
to cause to remain behind
deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in arid
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of desert
Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Simi Valley was excised from the district, while Hidden Hills, parts of Palmdale, Lancaster and nearby high-desert areas were added to the district.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
Her project is set against the backdrop of her native city of Liverpool and revolves around a 17-year-old soldier who deserts his post during the Iraq war.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2025
David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The temporary ban applies to areas within the South Coast Air Basin, which includes Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to a news release from the agency.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for desert
Noun
As Phoenix skies dry out, temperatures will tumble, setting up the coldest mornings the desert has seen so far this winter and freezing temperatures possible in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.
—Verb
Yes, moviegoers have pretty much deserted the cineplex to stay home with streaming.
—Adjective
The South Coast Air Basin includes Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for desert
Verb
-
The Miami Hurricanes are at home, while the entire state of Indiana – save for some in West Lafayette – is content to abandon their homes to enjoy this unexpectedly stupefying playoff march.—
-
Season One concludes with the Texas Tech geology graduate abandoning a well crew after tragedy strikes, only to achieve rapid success in his personal and work endeavors.—
Verb
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The departure of Stockton and Warren leaves head coach Spencer Danielson with the task of replacing two secondary coaches.—
-
Members of the Minneapolis City Council, in a joint statement, demanded that ICE leave the city following the shooting.—
Adjective
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Although this method works particularly well in semi-arid environments, such as the Canadian Badlands.—
-
During the era of the late Cretaceous, the land that now sits in modern-day Egypt was far from an arid desert.—
Verb
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Bonta rejected the allegations as unsubstantiated and said the states were targeted solely because of their political leadership.—
-
For at least the third time in just over a year, Humphrey has rejected most serious charges against rule-breaking cops.—
Adjective
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Friday starts out warm and dry, possibly some early sunshine, and a chance to hit 60, depending on when showers arrive.—
-
The video, narrated with dry sarcasm and visible exhaustion, quickly went viral.—
Verb
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Former North Crowley standout Ka’Morreun Pimpton also withdrew his name from the portal Sunday.—
-
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrew its troops last week following a deadline from Saudi Arabia.—
Adjective
-
While urban areas like Los Angeles are under mandatory drought restrictions to reduce strain on state reservoirs, many rural residents reliant on groundwater wells are waterless.—
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Other eco-friendly measures include a solid waste incinerator to turn waste into non-toxic ash and a waterless urinal to reduce unnecessary usage.—
Adjective
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The administration would paint Maduro as a blood-thirsty drug dealer.—
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Oh, and the company just so happens to have its own water services business for oil and gas that can translate to help for thirsty data centers as well.—
Cite this Entry
“Desert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desert. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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