DESERTING Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

deserting

verb

present participle of desert

as in abandoning

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in leaving

to cause to remain behind deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deserting Over the next two decades, records are few, most of them noting criminal convictions for fighting in bars, stealing a watch, deserting a whaling ship, and beating his wife. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 But Putin was not going to launch a new war against Turkey’s rebel allies just to save a petty dictator whose own soldiers were deserting. — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserting

Verb

Nessel says the party is abandoning civil discourse—making the August gathering a powder keg.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Not abandoning something tedious that was never wanted in the first place, but stepping away from work that was chosen and mattered, at the first small snag.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of abandoning

Verb

But that process has proven slippery for more than 250 communities that received no bids for the 2026-27 season, leaving them to choose whether to stay with the state and wait for emergency bids or find alternative sources.

— Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
Amenities and experiences The Rockaway Hotel makes a pretty convincing case for never leaving the property.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of leaving

Verb

The issue has split circuit courts, with the 9th Circuit (which Idaho is part of) and six other circuit courts rejecting the administration’s position.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026
These critiques assume that people rejecting vaccines have access to good information about them, but that’s not always the case, Marnik said.

— Felice J. Freyer, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of rejecting

Browse Nearby Words

desertic

deserting

desertion

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“Deserting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserting. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of deserting

verb

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