Definition of desertionnext
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning the soldiers were imprisoned for desertion of their posts

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of desertion Eddie Slovik was executed by a firing squad for desertion, the first American soldier since the Civil War to be executed in such a manner and the only soldier in World War II to receive such a punishment. Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 30 Jan. 2026 Its defense minister last week reported some 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by about 2 million Ukrainians. Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026 Rumours of low morale and high desertion rates have been swirling around for a long time, but Fedorov’s comments mark the first time any Ukrainian official has disclosed the scale of the problem. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026 The relative desertion of the streets shows the strategy has paid off. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desertion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desertion
abandonment
Noun
  • Bonner Springs Animal Control announced that an individual was charged with animal abandonment in a Facebook post Wednesday.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The complete abandonment of Americans in the Middle East while other countries are efficiently evacuating theirs raises serious competency concerns about our post-DOGE government.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Desertion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desertion. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.

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