badlands

noun

Definition of badlandsnext
plural of badland
as in deserts

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for badlands
  1. deserts
  2. wastelands
  3. barrens
Noun
  • During most of the year, merlins inhabit open country ranging from marshlands to deserts, but many breed in conifer and birch woods.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Participate in long-term engagement with senior centers to bring brain health screenings, information and support to memory care deserts.
    — Eric Cerino, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of deserts
Noun
  • Accordingly, the wastelands left behind capitalism grow only more vast.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • Pedro Pascal has carried galaxies and post-apocalyptic wastelands on his back.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
Definition of wastelands
Noun
  • In its place urchin barrens now carpet the seafloor; a spiny, silent landscape stripped of life.
    — Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026
  • The forests are marked by sparse conifer stands, woodlands, herbaceous vegetation, and unvegetated barrens that dominate the transition to Arctic tundra.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of barrens
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.

Browse Nearby Words

badland
badlands
badly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Badlands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badlands. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All