as in traitor
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
we had orders to find and capture the deserters before they could reveal our location
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Recent Examples of deserter
More important, though, is the fact that the judge who posited that hordes of deserters could follow Vovchenko’s example seems to be overstepping his role.
—
Air Mail, 25 Oct. 2025
Language purists like to remind anyone who will listen that decimation actually means the slaughter of one in ten people, and was the military punishment wielded by the Roman army against deserters and mutineers.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
In 1945, three men — two Jewish refugees living in Brooklyn and one Nazi deserter — enlisted in the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Despite opposition to busing, particularly among White families who comprised much of Louisville's Catholic population, Archbishop McDonough vowed in 1974 that his schools would not become the home of public school deserters.
—Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserter
Air Mail, 25 Oct. 2025
Language purists like to remind anyone who will listen that decimation actually means the slaughter of one in ten people, and was the military punishment wielded by the Roman army against deserters and mutineers.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
In 1945, three men — two Jewish refugees living in Brooklyn and one Nazi deserter — enlisted in the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Despite opposition to busing, particularly among White families who comprised much of Louisville's Catholic population, Archbishop McDonough vowed in 1974 that his schools would not become the home of public school deserters.
—Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserter
Noun
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In the context of his time, Jesus was considered a traitor — an enemy of the Roman Empire.—
Michael J Christensen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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It’s populated by craven, cowardly traitors.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Julian is both old and a devout rebel, with a lifetime’s worth of wisdom, wit and burned bridges in his arsenal.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
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Why isn’t Homelander lasering these rebels immediately?—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Then there’s Lola Wines, best known for its fresh, esoteric white wines, like Malvasia Bianca and Fiano, and the renegade Tank Garage Winery, beloved by millennials and Gen-Z for its one-off, offbeat blends with irreverent names.—
Jess Lander,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 Apr. 2026
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In an op-ed for Nikkei, a former lawmaker and one-time spokesperson for the previous Taiwanese president warned that the island — which China claims as a renegade province — was not doing enough to strengthen its energy independence and defense capabilities in the face of mainland pressure.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One of those defectors referenced Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in his decision.—
Rob Gillies,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
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One of those defectors referenced Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as helping in his decision.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deserter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserter. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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