as in deserts
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
with proper irrigation and fertilizer, they turned the desert wasteland into a fertile plain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 wastelands
Where homes, buildings and fields once stood in the southern city of Rafah, there were now craters and barren wastelands.
—
Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
This quiz invites you to explore the darker corners of sci-fi literature, where monsters lurk not just in shadows, but in laboratories, alien worlds and post-apocalyptic wastelands.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Krasheninnikov is located in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, which said in a statement that there is no threat to any people or infrastructure as the volcano is largely surrounded by wastelands.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
This quiz invites you to explore the darker corners of sci-fi literature, where monsters lurk not just in shadows, but in laboratories, alien worlds and post-apocalyptic wastelands.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Krasheninnikov is located in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, which said in a statement that there is no threat to any people or infrastructure as the volcano is largely surrounded by wastelands.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wastelands
Noun
-
For this collection, Blanga and Capitani revisited some of the signature styles that have marked Eéra’s success through the years in warm hues and sandy tones, nodding to the striking rock formations, sweeping deserts and lush oasis of the area.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Nearly 60% of this county’s residents live in childcare deserts, where available slots are insufficientto meet local demand, the news release stated.—
Dawn Giangiulio,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Given the surrounding terrain, largely comprising volcanic barrens and lava fields, the risk of wildfire remains low, and no life-threatening impacts have been identified.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wastelands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wastelands. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share