as in traitor
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
we had orders to find and capture the deserters before they could reveal our location
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Recent Examples of deserter
Language purists like to remind anyone who will listen that decimation actually means the slaughter of one in ten people, and was the military punishment wielded by the Roman army against deserters and mutineers.
—
Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
In 1945, three men — two Jewish refugees living in Brooklyn and one Nazi deserter — enlisted in the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Despite opposition to busing, particularly among White families who comprised much of Louisville's Catholic population, Archbishop McDonough vowed in 1974 that his schools would not become the home of public school deserters.
—Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
When Bloomberg asked 5,000 early Model 3 owners that year what cars used to be in their driveway, the survey found an alarming number of BMW deserters.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserter
Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
In 1945, three men — two Jewish refugees living in Brooklyn and one Nazi deserter — enlisted in the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Despite opposition to busing, particularly among White families who comprised much of Louisville's Catholic population, Archbishop McDonough vowed in 1974 that his schools would not become the home of public school deserters.
—Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
When Bloomberg asked 5,000 early Model 3 owners that year what cars used to be in their driveway, the survey found an alarming number of BMW deserters.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserter
Noun
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In the context of his time, Jesus was considered a traitor — an enemy of the Roman Empire.—
Michael J Christensen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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It’s populated by craven, cowardly traitors.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Following the events of A Palace Near the Wind, Liu Lufeng and her siblings flee the Palace for the dangerous waters, which contain rebels, allies, and her sister Sangshu—though Sangshu’s conflicting loyalties may clash with Lufeng’s plan to keep them all safe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
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An Iranian missile struck a fuel-oil tanker in Qatari waters Wednesday morning, while Houthi rebels launched a third barrage of missiles toward Israel.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Not all marketing The renegade spirit isn't all clever marketing.—
Chloe Veltman,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2026
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In the clip, Hart performs push-ups using 15-pound weights, incorporating renegade rows into the move.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Drawing at least in part on information from Chalker’s defectors, the Pentagon constructed life-size underground facsimiles of Iranian nuclear facilities where the scientists had worked, attempting to duplicate even the thickness of the walls.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Parties have mostly voted in blocks on major issues in recent years, with small numbers of defectors increasingly rare.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deserter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserter. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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