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."
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for AWOL
Adjective
-
Fort Worth police are asking for the public’s help locating a missing 14-year-old boy, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026 -
The author or co-author of more than 40 books, Lee was finalizing a book on missing-persons investigations in his final days, the university's statement said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Room by room, the author takes us through the house, now long gone.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Retaining Hall, 39, keeps one familiar face from Dart’s rookie year on the offensive side of the building for his second NFL season, with Brian Daboll, Mike Kafka and Shea Tierney all long gone.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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In Kentucky, a 2024 law requiring court referrals for truant students led to a surge of families pulling their children out of public schools to homeschool, rather than face legal consequences.—
Jon England,
Mercury News,
2 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
In a new documentary, the band revealed that Jin is absent from the songwriting credits on the record because of prior tour obligations that kept him from the bulk of their writing sessions.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
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The committee, which has one vacant seat, failed to support a recommendation that the county approve the new lease on a 3-3 vote with two members absent, said Chair Cliff Kaiser.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Not shown in the video is when officers finally tamed the out-of-control boat, Ramos said.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
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The issue was quickly traced to an out-of-place seal, and after recharging a variety of batteries in the rocket, the vehicle was hauled back out to the pad.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“AWOL.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/AWOL. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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