as in deserts
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
lived out in the barrens where it was impossible to grow anything
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Recent Examples of barrens
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
The population surge caused widespread urchin barrens across the islands.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Dec. 2025
Given the surrounding terrain, largely comprising volcanic barrens and lava fields, the risk of wildfire remains low, and no life-threatening impacts have been identified.
—Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2026
The population surge caused widespread urchin barrens across the islands.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Dec. 2025
Given the surrounding terrain, largely comprising volcanic barrens and lava fields, the risk of wildfire remains low, and no life-threatening impacts have been identified.
—Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barrens
deserts
Noun
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Parks turned into deserts, great skyscrapers leveled by blows from the tails of the monsters, and the entire population threatened in the panic and pestilence that followed the invasion.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Satellite communication enables users to stay connected in remote areas such as mountains, deserts, offshore locations, and disaster zones.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barrens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barrens. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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