as in missing
not present at a mandatory time and place
The soldier was AWOL for more than a week. "Where's Ben?" "I'm not sure—he's been AWOL all day."
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for AWOL
Adjective
-
During the search for the missing mother and daughter and Fieramusca, FBI agents followed Green.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026 -
When tube feet were severed, the wound margin was a mess of missing or fragmented epidermal and connective tissue.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Suddenly, photos, videos, or important documents are just… gone.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
15 May 2026
-
Room by room, the author takes us through the house, now long gone.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
A lot of kids’ parents don’t have time to sign out their kids, so they would be counted absent instead of truant, Hampton said.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In a late January social media post, district officials said any student participating in a walkout would be considered truant and given an unexcused absence.—
Emily Donaldson,
San Antonio Express-News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Unlike last year, when advocacy groups on both sides staged more visible demonstrations, the off-track theatrics were largely absent.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
With several top names currently absent, Thekla has become a force at the top of the card and deserves her Wembley moment.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
So this is an out-of-cycle dismissal.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
Despite emerging from the pits behind McLaughlin, Malukas swept past his teammate on the out lap before also picking off Palou, putting him ahead of the two yellow cars once again.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“AWOL.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/AWOL. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
