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desolations

noun

plural of desolation
1
as in deserts
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops looked out over the vast untamed desolation to the north

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2
as in disrepairs
the state of being unattended to or not cared for the desolation of the abandoned garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in devastations
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless the nuclear attack resulted in a scene of utter desolation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolations
  1. deserts
  2. extinctions
  3. barrens
  4. demolitions
Noun
  • Over the following 445 days, the van crossed six continents, traveling through major cities, deserts, mountain regions, and areas with very different levels of EV infrastructure.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Aitken’s 65-minute installation features multiple characters — played by Natasha Lyonne, Beck, members of the Los Angeles Dance Project and more — moving through settings across America, from deserts and remote mountains to factories and highways.
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of deserts
Noun
  • Understanding past extinctions says something about the current extinction crisis — and who may survive and who may not.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The project supports countries that are trying to deliver Target 4 of the CBD Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for governments around the world to halt extinctions and improve the conservation status of endangered species.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of extinctions
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
Noun
  • The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the demolitions.
    — Fadi Tawil, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • His anger at Hezbollah is matched by his sympathy for his civilian Shia Muslim neighbors, who have borne the brunt of Israel’s bombing and demolitions in the south.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of demolitions
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.

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desolation
desolations
despair
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Cite this Entry

“Desolations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolations. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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