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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Recent Examples of sterile
Image These sensory playgrounds couldn’t be farther from a sterile white art gallery.
—
Lisa Lucas, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Livestock shipments had been halted in November The Agriculture Department eradicated the NWS parasite in 1966 by releasing sterile male flies and pupae to eventually lead to infertile screwworm flies, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
—John Bacon, USA Today, 13 May 2025
The idea was to drive down the mosquito population because eggs produced by a female after a romp with a sterile male don’t hatch.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
But the overall health system in Chad is fragile, and many Chadian women don't have access to a safe and sterile place to deliver.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Lisa Lucas, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Livestock shipments had been halted in November The Agriculture Department eradicated the NWS parasite in 1966 by releasing sterile male flies and pupae to eventually lead to infertile screwworm flies, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
—John Bacon, USA Today, 13 May 2025
The idea was to drive down the mosquito population because eggs produced by a female after a romp with a sterile male don’t hatch.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
But the overall health system in Chad is fragile, and many Chadian women don't have access to a safe and sterile place to deliver.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterile
Adjective
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In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience.—
Cheryl Russell,
Oc Register,
11 May 2025
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The inky ocean depths are often assumed to be barren, but this is a myth, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ocean scientist at the UK’s Natural History Museum.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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In other words, a lack of sanitary and dependable water systems can jeopardize lives which may deter utilities from partnering with water technology startups, no matter how innovative and cost-effective their solution may be.—
Jamil Wyne,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Residents in Louisville, Kentucky, were asked to temporarily reduce their water use for appliances like washing machines and dishwashers as the sanitary sewer system hit capacity.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterile. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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