1
as in barren
not able to produce fruit or offspring
sterile couples sometimes choose to adopt needy children the apple tree turned out to be sterile, never yielding a crop of apples
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2
as in sanitary
free from filth, infection, or dangers to health
the hospitals in the war-torn city often lack necessary drugs and sterile surgical supplies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sterile
Back then, 600 million sterile flies were released each week, the NYT explains, and the fly was eliminated.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 28 July 2025
This facility will have the capability to disperse sterile flies in Northern Mexico.
—Mandy Taheri
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
But since the female flies only mate one time in their short, 20-day lifespan, once populations are exposed to sterile males, the populations die out over the course of months or years, depending on the size of the outbreak.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
The outer ring of the flower is composed of showy, sterile florets, while the center contains the smaller, fertile florets.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 28 July 2025
This facility will have the capability to disperse sterile flies in Northern Mexico.
—Mandy Taheri
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
But since the female flies only mate one time in their short, 20-day lifespan, once populations are exposed to sterile males, the populations die out over the course of months or years, depending on the size of the outbreak.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
The outer ring of the flower is composed of showy, sterile florets, while the center contains the smaller, fertile florets.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterile
Adjective
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What might more readily bring about a crisis of identity than the physical alteration of the body, the change from bearer of life to barren woman?—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Most of those barren years came before a current regime that has taken English cricket to new highs of attacking intent.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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However, in March approximately 10,000 gallons of wastewater was mistakenly released by contractors of the sewerage district into a storm sewer rather than the sanitary sewer.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Hunger and disease are hitting a breaking point in Gaza, while the U.S. government is stepping back from what was once a major role in helping establish sanitary conditions and bring health care and food to other nations worldwide.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterile. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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