as in deserts
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
with proper irrigation and fertilizer, they turned the desert wasteland into a fertile plain
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Recent Examples of wastelands
This quiz invites you to explore the darker corners of sci-fi literature, where monsters lurk not just in shadows, but in laboratories, alien worlds and post-apocalyptic wastelands.
—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Krasheninnikov is located in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, which said in a statement that there is no threat to any people or infrastructure as the volcano is largely surrounded by wastelands.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Krasheninnikov is located in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, which said in a statement that there is no threat to any people or infrastructure as the volcano is largely surrounded by wastelands.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wastelands
Noun
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That’s the environment in which Piccard and Jones lived for nearly three weeks, gliding across oceans and deserts, often in treacherous weather conditions.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
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Every autumn, avid leaf-peepers make annual pilgrimages to forests, mountains, and even deserts to view this awesome display on hikes and scenic drives.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Given the surrounding terrain, largely comprising volcanic barrens and lava fields, the risk of wildfire remains low, and no life-threatening impacts have been identified.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wastelands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wastelands. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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