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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The president’s 2024 campaign leaned into crypto to attract young men, a demographic that is deserting Republicans in the midterms. — Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026 Tennessee Williams’ autobiographical drama centers on a writer haunted by deserting his delusional mother Amanda and sister Laura, who’s painfully shy and retreats to her collection of glass animals. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2026 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

Carreira cautioned against abandoning wholesale too early, however, as retailers remain vital for reaching customers and building visibility.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2026
Advertisement Dialogue does not mean abandoning our values, excusing aggression, or accepting injustice.

— Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of abandoning

Verb

Pattison joined Ricochet more than two years ago after leaving the UK arm of Pooch Perfect outfit Beyond Productions.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Ambulances were seen leaving the hospital to bring the children's bodies home as mourners wept and wailed.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of leaving

Verb

Alvarez said that rejecting Amendment 2 means rejecting the small farmer who can’t keep cows in the field.

— Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Stewart was an executive producer of his friend Colbert’s show and harshly criticized the cancellation, rejecting Paramount’s financial justification and accusing the company of bending the knee to the president.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deserting

verb

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