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
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
When Bloomberg asked 5,000 early Model 3 owners that year what cars used to be in their driveway, the survey found an alarming number of BMW deserters.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserter
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
When Bloomberg asked 5,000 early Model 3 owners that year what cars used to be in their driveway, the survey found an alarming number of BMW deserters.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserter
Noun
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McCarthy’s rampage was about rooting out traitors.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
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Each night, the traitors eliminate one faithful by figuratively murdering them, ending their time on the show.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These are Loyalists who have been killed by rebels.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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While Machar is currently on trial for offenses including treason, fighting has intensified in areas seen as his strongholds, where government troops are trying to disperse the rebels.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Gehlfuss' rigid, rule-following Bill Goodman serves as a foil to Colin's renegade, acting as an FBI liaison to the CIA.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
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Clad in red, white and black, the renegade scientist’s sartorial inspiration is not bound to a single era.—
Emma Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And with members' own reelection hopes beginning to clash with some politically unpopular policies coming from the White House, the number of Republican defectors could grow as the midterm elections approach.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
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In 2006, Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko died after drinking a cup of tea laced with radioactive polonium-210 in a London hotel.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deserter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserter. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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