as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
the city's decayed industrial quarter is a no-man's-land of abandoned factories and weedy vacant lots
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Recent Examples of no-man's-land
When this happens, their planet goes back and forth between being a searing, endless stretch of desert or frozen no-man's-land.
—
Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Abandoned by King Hassan II for its association with the Rif mountain revolts after Moroccan independence, in 1956, Tangier became a dilapidated drive-through, a no-man's-land for another 50 years.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
Today, guerrillas, drug smugglers, poachers, and jaguars rule this vast no-man's-land.
—David Ewing Duncan, Outside Online, 17 May 2022
Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Abandoned by King Hassan II for its association with the Rif mountain revolts after Moroccan independence, in 1956, Tangier became a dilapidated drive-through, a no-man's-land for another 50 years.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
Today, guerrillas, drug smugglers, poachers, and jaguars rule this vast no-man's-land.
—David Ewing Duncan, Outside Online, 17 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for no-man's-land
desert
Noun
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Here is a brief selection of some of the best desert reads, old and new, that put the Southwest at their center.—
Mark Athitakis,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Fleeing into the desert with her father, she is hunted by a merciless army and forced to trust a legendary bandit (Mackie) with secrets of his own.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“No-man's-land.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/no-man%27s-land. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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