as in abandonment
the act of abandoning
the soldiers were imprisoned for desertion of their posts
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Recent Examples of desertion
It has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America's Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
—
Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2025
During the Civil War, firing squads were common for executing soldiers for desertion; in some cases, they would be blindfolded and tied to stakes before being shot.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 2 Mar. 2025
The true reason of growing desertions lays in low morale and patriotism of recent conscripts who never wanted to defend their homeland and were caught and forced to do that.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
Large-scale desertions among Russian conscripts might follow.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for desertion
Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2025
During the Civil War, firing squads were common for executing soldiers for desertion; in some cases, they would be blindfolded and tied to stakes before being shot.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 2 Mar. 2025
The true reason of growing desertions lays in low morale and patriotism of recent conscripts who never wanted to defend their homeland and were caught and forced to do that.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
Large-scale desertions among Russian conscripts might follow.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for desertion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desertion
abandonment
Noun
-
They are believed to have entered the United States in the 1500s, where, over centuries, domestic stock eventually became wild due to escape and abandonment.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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The researchers found that individuals with higher attachment anxiety, that is people who crave closeness but fear abandonment, reported stronger parasocial relationships with their favorite TV characters.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desertion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desertion. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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