1
as in barren
not able to produce fruit or offspring
sterile couples sometimes choose to adopt needy children the apple tree turned out to be sterile, never yielding a crop of apples
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2
as in sanitary
free from filth, infection, or dangers to health
the hospitals in the war-torn city often lack necessary drugs and sterile surgical supplies
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Recent Examples of sterile
For most bleeds, the first step is to apply pressure with a sterile gauze.
—
Patricia "blackpacker" Cameron, Outside Online, 27 Oct. 2025
Spray the piercing with sterile saline wound wash when cleaning it.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 24 Oct. 2025
To combat the spread of the flies, the USDA disperses sterile flies into the area to stop the mating, a scientific method known as sterile insect technique (SIT).
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
In the quiet hush of the neonatal intensive care unit at Shahjahanpur Medical College, the only constant sound was the monotone of the heart monitor, its low hum keeping watch over the baby sleeping inside the sterile incubator.
—Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Patricia "blackpacker" Cameron, Outside Online, 27 Oct. 2025
Spray the piercing with sterile saline wound wash when cleaning it.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 24 Oct. 2025
To combat the spread of the flies, the USDA disperses sterile flies into the area to stop the mating, a scientific method known as sterile insect technique (SIT).
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
In the quiet hush of the neonatal intensive care unit at Shahjahanpur Medical College, the only constant sound was the monotone of the heart monitor, its low hum keeping watch over the baby sleeping inside the sterile incubator.
—Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterile
Adjective
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The barren Martian landscape stretches as far as the eye can see, interrupted only occasionally by the faintest of tire tracks marking the unpaved road on Libya’s north-south route.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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In the wild, macaques can traverse miles of novel terrain each week and socialize through grooming, but in many laboratories they are isolated in barren cages no bigger than a washing machine.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But along with this and keeping the toilet lid closed when not in use, here are a few other tips for keeping the bathroom a safe and sanitary place.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
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Both diseases would have been deadly in the early 1800s in the absence of sanitary conditions and antibiotics.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterile. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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