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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The claps are crisper, and the snare drums smack harder, but the sound is sterile.
—
Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
Back in Vegas, Marcus and his loved ones watch the Tropicalia get demolished and lament the old Vegas, the one that wasn’t all sterile and lame and full of chain stores.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 30 May 2025
Cases in Panama—mostly in cattle—skyrocketed from dozens a year to 1,000, despite ongoing drops of sterile flies.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
The sterile backdrop of the bubble is best forgotten.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
Back in Vegas, Marcus and his loved ones watch the Tropicalia get demolished and lament the old Vegas, the one that wasn’t all sterile and lame and full of chain stores.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 30 May 2025
Cases in Panama—mostly in cattle—skyrocketed from dozens a year to 1,000, despite ongoing drops of sterile flies.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
The sterile backdrop of the bubble is best forgotten.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterile
Adjective
-
Work and plans are changing what was once a barren landscape into a new neighborhood.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
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As the moon progresses through the different phases of the lunar calendar, the sun's light throws new impact sites, barren plains, and swathes of broken landscapes into relief as prime targets for amateur astronomers wielding binoculars and backyard telescopes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
They were trapped there for a week without electricity, without sanitary bathrooms, without adequate food or water.—
Asha Bandele,
Essence,
25 June 2025
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The company carried out fleet-wide safety upgrades aimed at preventing engine room fires, and changed its terms and conditions, removing caveats about wholesome food, sanitary and safe living conditions, safe passage, and a sea-worthy vessel.—
Chris Vognar,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterile. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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