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
Avoid sterile, clinical environments that can be intimidating.
—
Ajay Prasad, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
The Pitt is set in Pittsburgh, not Chicago, and the season unfolds in real time, with overlapping crises ratcheting up tension as the cast careens around the sterile white set.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Everything While neutral tones have long been favored for creating bright and airy spaces, experts say all-white and gray interiors can feel sterile.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Her dance team performances were supplanted with physical therapy, and high school classrooms replaced with sterile examination rooms.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Ajay Prasad, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
The Pitt is set in Pittsburgh, not Chicago, and the season unfolds in real time, with overlapping crises ratcheting up tension as the cast careens around the sterile white set.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Everything While neutral tones have long been favored for creating bright and airy spaces, experts say all-white and gray interiors can feel sterile.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Her dance team performances were supplanted with physical therapy, and high school classrooms replaced with sterile examination rooms.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterile
Adjective
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So, why would an elite striker commit to two potentially barren years?—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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The list includes mostly barren Antarctic islands with no imports or exports. 0:51 President Donald Trump's sweeping new set of tariffs impact friend and foe alike, but also on the list are uninhabited islands while some glaring omissions include Russia and Iran.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some institutions have their own sanitary precautions.—
Jake Offenhartz,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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The organization is currently in Myanmar providing emergency support for youth and families, including health kits, medical supplies, tents, and personal hygiene items such as soap, sanitary pads, and disinfectant.—
Jenny Adams,
AFAR Media,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterile. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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