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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 sterile
Cooler light, by contrast, tends to read as stark and sterile, which can shrink a space visually rather than open it up.
—
Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
In an open letter last week, SAMHSA warned grant recipients against using federal funds to buy harm reduction supplies like sterile syringes, pipes, or test strips.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
Schaffner said sterile male files that can't impregnate females were created in a laboratory.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Gleaming right before me in a sterile white clean room stood the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — at last, complete.
—Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
In an open letter last week, SAMHSA warned grant recipients against using federal funds to buy harm reduction supplies like sterile syringes, pipes, or test strips.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
Schaffner said sterile male files that can't impregnate females were created in a laboratory.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Gleaming right before me in a sterile white clean room stood the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — at last, complete.
—Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterile
Adjective
-
Seeking to eliminate Berber forces in the barren mountains of northern Morocco, seven soldiers obediently follow their fanatical sergeant (Víctor Clavijo) into barbarous depths of depravity.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Officials there have said that Iraqi army forces investigated reports of an unauthorized military force in the Nukhaib desert -- a barren area to the southwest of the cities of Karbala and Najaf -- in early March and came under fire while en route to the location.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
For livestock, this would include potable water, sanitary living conditions and access to a windbreak such as a building or tree line.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Results showed 80% of respondents voted no, citing both sanitary and ethical concerns.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterile. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
