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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of desert
Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 15 May 2025
The Path, a desert lounge with seating meant to be a transition space, weaves within an open art gallery.
—Melinda Sheckells, Billboard, 15 May 2025
Gary Stern, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
The area is deserted, eerily so, save for a series of telephone poles that line the street.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 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
Colombia is home to some of the most biodiverse lands on the planet: mountainous coffee farms, arid desert canyons, low grasslands, Amazonian jungles, coastal rainforests, and beautiful beaches.
—Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 15 May 2025
The Path, a desert lounge with seating meant to be a transition space, weaves within an open art gallery.
—Melinda Sheckells, Billboard, 15 May 2025
Verb
When this reporter stopped by on a Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m. several months ago, the bar/restaurant was deserted.
—Gary Stern, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
The area is deserted, eerily so, save for a series of telephone poles that line the street.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Cocktail grapefruit grows wherever conventional grapefruit grows, although fruit quality is best, as with grapefruit generally, in desert or semi-desert conditions.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desert
Verb
-
President mulls joining Russia-Ukraine peace talks, expects ceasefire With Russian forces now in control of close to a fifth of Ukraine, Putin has held fast to his longstanding demands for Kyiv to cede territory, abandon its NATO membership ambitions and become a neutral country.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
-
When Lollapalooza first announced that Olivia and Sabrina Carpenter were headlining this summer (along with Tyler, the Creator and Rüfüs Du Soul), with Abrams also in a top slot, there was the predictable gnashing of teeth that Lollapalooza is abandoning its precious rock heritage.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2025
Verb
-
What's left is rosemary, a spice that many, many people already have in their kitchen, or maybe even growing like an angry weed in their backyard.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
18 May 2025
-
The aspirational numbers are dazzling but many details are undefined, with much left to be decided down the road in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic impediments.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
In hot and arid locales, an evaporative cooler can lower the air temperature while increasing humidity.—
Khanh T.L. Tran,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
-
Plants that grow in forested areas can impart the spirit with fresh notes of herbs or pine, while sotol made from plants residing in more arid regions can accrue mineral, earthy undertones with hints of smoke and spice.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
On May 16, Brown appeared in Manchester Magistrates’ Court, where Judge Joanne Hirst rejected his bail request.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
18 May 2025
-
To compound the embarrassment, Arsenal fan group Ashburton Army had raised more than £12,000 to fund their own tifo, which the club rejected (fans who had donated were refunded their money).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
This higher elevation, combined with low to moderate levels of rainfall, temperature, and dry weather, all come together to form a pretty ideal environment for growing wine grapes.—
Amanda Ogle,
Travel + Leisure,
18 May 2025
-
While much of Sunday will remain dry, scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop from 2-6 p.m., mainly across eastern Kansas before pushing into western Missouri.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
17 May 2025
Verb
-
Martin withdrew from consideration for the post that requires Senate confirmation and Trump named him to a Justice Department post instead.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
-
Fisher Scientific withdrew its full-year profit forecast while the medical equipment maker expects to take a $400 million hit in sales to China, as Trump’s tariffs would likely raise the cost of parts the company sources in China.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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.—
Tribune Content Agency,
oregonlive,
27 Nov. 2022
-
Other eco-friendly measures include a solid waste incinerator to turn waste into non-toxic ash and a waterless urinal to reduce unnecessary usage.—
Camille Fine,
USA TODAY,
22 Aug. 2022
Adjective
-
The all-stock deal represents a staggering sum, particularly at a time when venture firms have been thirsty for exits due to a yearslong dearth of IPOs and big acquisitions.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
22 May 2025
-
With two percent salicylic acid, the formula has niacinamide and glycerin to quench thirsty skin.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desert. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
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