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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Recent Examples of sterile
Spray the piercing with sterile saline wound wash when cleaning it.
—
Sherri Gordon, Health, 24 Oct. 2025
To combat the spread of the flies, the USDA disperses sterile flies into the area to stop the mating, a scientific method known as sterile insect technique (SIT).
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
In the quiet hush of the neonatal intensive care unit at Shahjahanpur Medical College, the only constant sound was the monotone of the heart monitor, its low hum keeping watch over the baby sleeping inside the sterile incubator.
—Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Premier League football in the 2000s could be dramatic and explosive, but what the nostalgia for that era ignores is the number of dour, sterile games there were, many of them settled by a goal from a set piece.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Sherri Gordon, Health, 24 Oct. 2025
To combat the spread of the flies, the USDA disperses sterile flies into the area to stop the mating, a scientific method known as sterile insect technique (SIT).
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
In the quiet hush of the neonatal intensive care unit at Shahjahanpur Medical College, the only constant sound was the monotone of the heart monitor, its low hum keeping watch over the baby sleeping inside the sterile incubator.
—Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Premier League football in the 2000s could be dramatic and explosive, but what the nostalgia for that era ignores is the number of dour, sterile games there were, many of them settled by a goal from a set piece.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterile
Adjective
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Whatever your candy preference, no one wants to spend the evening strolling barren streets hoping to find some goodies.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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An arid, barren landscape with extreme temperature swings from 45 to -40 degrees Celsius (113 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit).—
Rosanna Philpott,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But along with this and keeping the toilet lid closed when not in use, here are a few other tips for keeping the bathroom a safe and sanitary place.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
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Both diseases would have been deadly in the early 1800s in the absence of sanitary conditions and antibiotics.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterile. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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