1
as in empty
lacking contents that could or should be present
a vacant room that could be converted into a classroom
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
looking for vacant land on which to build a house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blank
not expressing any emotion
the prisoner's vacant and distracted expression
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in deserted
left unoccupied or unused
police discovered that vagrants had been sleeping in the vacant warehouse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vacant
Francisco Matamoros, 32, and his wife, Kelly Vaco, 30, were living in a room on the second floor of the vacant building in Miramar occupied by several other migrant families.
—
Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Moermond and several other speakers at a public hearing immediately prior to the vote encouraged the council to order the structure razed and removed, though even some critics of the corporation’s handling of its vacant property worried about adding another empty lot to the neighborhood.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
Still, theories continue to swirl about why the job remains vacant.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Matt Yagyagan, the mayor’s director of policy, said Gloria’s staff is willing to discuss new parking fees and other revenue proposals like taxes on vacant storefronts and more aggressive lease negotiations on city properties.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacant
Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Moermond and several other speakers at a public hearing immediately prior to the vote encouraged the council to order the structure razed and removed, though even some critics of the corporation’s handling of its vacant property worried about adding another empty lot to the neighborhood.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
Still, theories continue to swirl about why the job remains vacant.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Matt Yagyagan, the mayor’s director of policy, said Gloria’s staff is willing to discuss new parking fees and other revenue proposals like taxes on vacant storefronts and more aggressive lease negotiations on city properties.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacant
Adjective
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That set up a dramatic final four minutes until Josh Doan scored a nearly 169-foot empty-netter to give the Sabres the breathing room for a 5-3 win.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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All of Bed Bath & Beyond’s complaints have contended that the carriers compounded the retailer’s operational and financial distress throughout the pandemic as shelves went empty and costs soared, ultimately leading to the company’s demise.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As the mercury plummets and back-to-work blues set in for much of humankind in the UK, many other creatures are cosily spending winter in a blissfully dormant state of hibernation.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
6 Jan. 2026
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Cornerbacks Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams were among the Chiefs’ best players for a second consecutive week as both helped shut down a dormant Raiders pass game.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The court found Kurashov guilty of firing on the Ukrainian soldier at point blank range during an attack in the vicinity of the village of Pryiutne in the Zaporizhzhia region on January 6, 2024.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Similarly, in the second move, the number eight from the top row is moved down, creating a blank square in the middle of the top row.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Vargas nodded at the nearly deserted river.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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Except for a few children kicking a ball and some chickens pecking the ground, the village seemed almost deserted.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Other Republicans say the criticism of the party’s performance is overkill, noting that the major elections of the evening took place in blue-leaning states during an off-year election.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
6 Nov. 2025
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Superstar Victor Wembanyama had an off night, scoring just nine points to go with nine rebounds and four blocks.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Colonial Pipeline said its network had been accessed via a compromised password that was linked to a disused virtual private networking account used for remote access.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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The venue was a disused Anglican church where Lediņš had been hosting a discothèque.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The barren Martian landscape stretches as far as the eye can see, interrupted only occasionally by the faintest of tire tracks marking the unpaved road on Libya’s north-south route.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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In the wild, macaques can traverse miles of novel terrain each week and socialize through grooming, but in many laboratories they are isolated in barren cages no bigger than a washing machine.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacant. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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