potter's field

Definition of potter's fieldnext
as in cemetery
a piece of land used for burying the dead criminals and unidentified people are sometimes buried in a potter's field

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of potter's field According to a 1951 Milwaukee Journal article, the potter's field was the burial site of many victims of the city's 1849-1850 cholera epidemic, which was estimated to have killed as many as 700 of the city's then-20,000 residents. — Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024 After finding out from police that her son was buried in a potter's field, Wade Robinson sought to recover his body and give him a proper burial. — Deena Zaru, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023 The family lived down the street from the potter's field where the boy was first buried, and placed flowers there on holidays. — Maryclaire Dale, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potter's field
Noun
  • The Israelis bombed the cemetery where her friends were buried, leaving body parts and bones scattered for relatives to collect like a puzzle.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The series focuses on a 13-year-old named Sophie, who mourns her grandfather Thomas every day in a Milan cemetery.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • And the office has a history of being a political graveyard for its former occupants who have been frustrated in efforts to reach higher office.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The telecom graveyard of pivots, bad ideas, and failed acquisitions is vast.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Potter's field.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potter%27s%20field. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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