as in abandonment
the act of abandoning
the soldiers were imprisoned for desertion of their posts
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Recent Examples of desertion
The relative desertion of the streets shows the strategy has paid off.
—
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Jan. 2026
And while his troops have continued to prevent a total collapse of the front line, the odds may yet worsen as reports indicate an uptick in desertion rates and military-age males fleeing the country.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
In 2017, Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
Mobilization has stalled, with brigades undermanned, and desertion in the ranks is a mounting problem.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desertion
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Jan. 2026
And while his troops have continued to prevent a total collapse of the front line, the odds may yet worsen as reports indicate an uptick in desertion rates and military-age males fleeing the country.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
In 2017, Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
Mobilization has stalled, with brigades undermanned, and desertion in the ranks is a mounting problem.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desertion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desertion
abandonment
Noun
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Old wounds around rejection or abandonment may rise to the surface… not to punish you, but to be finally resolved.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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This language can suggest frequent pivots and abandonment of projects.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desertion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desertion. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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