as in discipline
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
the robbers got their just deserts
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rejects
to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another
the volunteer became disillusioned with his candidate and deserted to a political rival
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leaves
to cause to remain behind
deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deserts
Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Sheila cruised through stunning mountain ranges and vast deserts — where surely no Reliant Robin has gone before.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Our public forests, rivers and deserts deserve to be treated better, and the federal land managers who work tirelessly deserve better.
—Tracy Stone-Manning, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
Gusty winds are expected in the mountains and deserts of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties — enough to down tree limbs and trees and make driving high-profile vehicles difficult.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Food deserts, school deserts, health care gaps and more become solvable when the school is not just a building but a center of stability, access and care.
—Stacy Davis Gates, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
The number of quality child care providers increased by more than 150, but the percentage of Texas Rising Star deserts increased by 5%.
—Lina Ruiz
april 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
In contrast, on the lower end of its range, relative humidity near Earth’s surface rarely falls below 30 percent, though humidity values of less than 1 percent do occur in some of Earth’s deserts from time to time.
—John P. Rafferty, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2026
Stephanie Morton, executive director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies-The Montana Coalition, said more than half of Montana's counties are designated as maternity care deserts.
—Katheryn Houghton, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Lina Ruiz
april 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
Sean, 17, deserts his post in the midst of the Iraq war and returns to England.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2025
Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Isabel Greenberg, the upcoming adaptation follows a young bride named Cherry (scream queen Maika Monroe), whose husband (Amir El-Masry) deserts her in the care of the sexy Manfred (Nicholas Galitzine) and her maid, Hero (Emma Corrin).
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
In California, the warning is in effect for southeastern counties, with temperatures forecast to reach 111 F in Indian Wells Valley; and 115 F in Coachella Valley and San Diego County deserts.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
Banks says part of Cadence OTC’s goal is to serve health care deserts by placing its contraceptive and UTI relief products in convenience stores, such as 7-Elevens, rather than pharmacies where these products already exist.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Sheila cruised through stunning mountain ranges and vast deserts — where surely no Reliant Robin has gone before.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Our public forests, rivers and deserts deserve to be treated better, and the federal land managers who work tirelessly deserve better.
—Tracy Stone-Manning, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
Gusty winds are expected in the mountains and deserts of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties — enough to down tree limbs and trees and make driving high-profile vehicles difficult.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Food deserts, school deserts, health care gaps and more become solvable when the school is not just a building but a center of stability, access and care.
—Stacy Davis Gates, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
The number of quality child care providers increased by more than 150, but the percentage of Texas Rising Star deserts increased by 5%.
—Lina Ruiz
april 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
In contrast, on the lower end of its range, relative humidity near Earth’s surface rarely falls below 30 percent, though humidity values of less than 1 percent do occur in some of Earth’s deserts from time to time.
—John P. Rafferty, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2026
Stephanie Morton, executive director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies-The Montana Coalition, said more than half of Montana's counties are designated as maternity care deserts.
—Katheryn Houghton, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
There are 15 overall child care deserts out of 74 ZIP codes in Tarrant, and 40% of those deserts are considered to be chronic.
—Lina Ruiz
april 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
Sean, 17, deserts his post in the midst of the Iraq war and returns to England.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2025
Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Isabel Greenberg, the upcoming adaptation follows a young bride named Cherry (scream queen Maika Monroe), whose husband (Amir El-Masry) deserts her in the care of the sexy Manfred (Nicholas Galitzine) and her maid, Hero (Emma Corrin).
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
In California, the warning is in effect for southeastern counties, with temperatures forecast to reach 111 F in Indian Wells Valley; and 115 F in Coachella Valley and San Diego County deserts.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserts
Noun
-
The local school board would decide whether cell phones could be used during after-school activities, and the districts would set their own policies on issues such as discipline for violating the policy, lawmakers said.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Both focus on human achievement, discipline and expression.—
Taylor Haught,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In an oppositional reading, the reader understands the dominant ideology expressed in the text but rejects it and interprets the text in an alternative way.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
And with its bare Instagram presence, Antigone rejects polish for rawness, allowing the strength of its curation to speak for itself.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The move leaves the Seahawks with a total of six picks in the draft.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the album’s high quality across the board, Mahesh still leaves a few ends loose.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Little in the past acknowledged his preference for lethal injection between the two methods, sharing concerns over the impacts on corrections officials from participating in a firing squad execution.—
Kevin Fixler
April 29,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Republicans voting for the deal included retired corrections officer Kurt Vail of Stafford Springs, longtime police officer Greg Howard of Stonington and others.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What to read next The USSR withdraws troops from the border with Afghanistan, as Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev abandons invasion plans to focus his resources on the Space Race.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
God abandons the human race and lets people live out their days as the animal of their choice.—
Mariella Rudi,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In its decision, the court noted that the point of disciplinary action was not punishment, but to protect the public from further misconduct by an attorney and other attorneys.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The jury will decide his punishment.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Domestic infrastructure for large-scale sorting, assessment, and processing remains underdeveloped.—
Jessica Binns,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Colleges are beginning to respond with interviews, oral examinations, and in-person assessments.—
Gerald Bradshaw,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For example, if a Medicare Advantage plan withdraws from a market or leaves the Medicare program, its enrollees can qualify for a supplemental plan without being asked health questions or charged more for having preexisting conditions.—
Julie Appleby,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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University officials deactivated the group the same day they were notified, citing campus policies that allow suspension of student organizations when a parent or governing body withdraws recognition or when groups violate state law.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deserts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserts. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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