1
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning the dereliction by the owners of a once flourishing orchard

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3
as in neglect
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action both sentries were to be court-martialed for dereliction of duty

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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 dereliction Fear of Trump’s anger is no excuse for dereliction of duty. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2025 Lawmakers diagnosed that the principal government dereliction had been the failure to ensure that intelligence was shared across agencies. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 1 Mar. 2025 Here, dereliction was kept at bay: the corridors were bright, broom-swept, and freshly painted. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 Salvini was acquitted of kidnapping and dereliction of duty charges in December 2024. Ronald Niezen, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
  • Natalia was evicted from the apartment a year later and the couple was hit with accusations of abandonment and several charges related to the neglect of a dependent.
    Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Volunteers advocate for children who have been removed from their home from either abuse, abandonment or neglect.
    Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Hawley’s parents Anne and William are suing, alleging wrongful death, negligence, a design defect in the coaster and failure to warn riders of potential injury.
    Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges negligence, design defects and a failure to warn riders about the potential danger of the wing coaster at the Valencia amusement park.
    Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Criminal Minds actor says a life of neglect and isolation left the dog disconnected.
    Kelli Bender, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
  • However, unsubstantiated reports of neglect or abuse are erased five years after the conclusion of the investigation.
    Alexandra Koch, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • At the same time, there are growing signs of weakness.
    Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
  • No one wants to lay out their struggles in a room where competitors are listening, ready to pounce on any sign of weakness.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • His desertion is squashed, however, when his fellow soldier Gam Dong-hyuk (Hong Xa-bin) tries to tag along.
    Robert Daniels, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Ukraine faces troop shortages and problems with mobilization and the high numbers of desertions.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • With that said, the overall dearth of humor is a more damning sin.
    Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The new administration is intent on wiping out DEI programs and purging those who supported them, even if their only sin was attending a diversity training seminar.
    Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The company has been found at fault for a few major wildfires in Southern California in recent years, including the 2017 Thomas fire and 2018’s Woolsey fire.
    Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
  • But they were told that authorities required solid proof that a business was at fault in order to take away a license.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In recent weeks, the corporation has published two reviews into the historical behavior of presenters Russell Brand and Tim Westwood, both of which revealed failings in BBC processes around complaints handling.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Thankfully, this phone makes up for these failings with a slightly better software update policy.
    Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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