desertion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One of his first initiatives is an audit of battlefield losses -- ranking commanders based on casualty levels, in an attempt to address high levels of desertion among rank-and-file troops and the unpopularity of mobilisation.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

"Ardern's move is likely to be seen as symbolic of this broader pattern. To some it will read as desertion," Alan Gamlen, director of the Australian National University's migration hub, told the BBC.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

The charges included voluntary surrender, attempting to voluntarily surrender and desertion from a military unit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

The Franklin Institute acquired the plane in 1933, when Bergdoll was living as a fugitive in Germany, to which he had fled after his conviction for desertion.

From New York Times • Nov. 29, 2024

Yet I had spurned him, and I wondered whether my desertion might have hastened his death.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela