ABANDON Synonyms: 217 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'abandon' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of abandon are relinquish , resign , surrender , waive , and yield . While all these words mean "to give up completely," abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up. // abandoned all hope

Q: When might 'relinquish' be a better fit than 'abandon'?

While in some cases nearly identical to abandon , relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness. // relinquished her crown

Q: When can 'resign' be used instead of 'abandon'?

The words resign and abandon can be used in similar contexts, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle. // resigned her position

Q: When is it sensible to use 'surrender' instead of 'abandon'?

The words surrender and abandon are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist. // surrendered their claims

Q: Where would 'waive' be a reasonable alternative to 'abandon'?

The meanings of waive and abandon largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion. // waived the right to a trial by jury

Q: In what contexts can 'yield' take the place of 'abandon'?

In some situations, the words yield and abandon are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force. // the troops yielded ground grudgingly

abandon 1 of 2

verb

ə-ˈban-dən

Definition of abandon

as in to indulge

to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly more than ready to abandon himself to a life of complete idleness for the duration of his vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to leave

to cause to remain behind abandoned the group that he had been hiking with and struck out on his own

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to cancel

to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to) the bad weather forced NASA to abandon the launch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to discontinue

to stop doing (something) permanently marriage customs that were abandoned decades ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

abandon

2 of 2

noun

as in abandonment

carefree freedom from constraint added spices to the stew with complete abandon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word abandon different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of abandon are relinquish, resign, surrender, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

When might relinquish be a better fit than abandon?

While in some cases nearly identical to abandon, relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

When can resign be used instead of abandon?

The words resign and abandon can be used in similar contexts, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When is it sensible to use surrender instead of abandon?

The words surrender and abandon are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

Where would waive be a reasonable alternative to abandon?

The meanings of waive and abandon largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

In what contexts can yield take the place of abandon?

In some situations, the words yield and abandon are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

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 abandon

Verb

The owner of four car dealerships said a key element of his game abandoned him. — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026 The effort, which had major bipartisan support, was abandoned in favor of vote pairing, an informal arrangement where an absent lawmaker coordinates with an opposing lawmaker who agrees to abstain or withhold their vote. — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Noun

But rather than getting back to basics to ensure that second at-bat would actually happen, the production that followed saw Bakshi changing techniques with such abandon that the finished film sometimes resembles a reel mutating in front of you. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026 Ravers can dance with abandon while surrounded by historic aircraft that are set against the San Jacinto Mountains and desert sky. — Lisa Kocay, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abandon

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandon

Verb

Mid-month, however, encourages you to indulge your creativity, rather than forcing big decisions.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Ferdinand, 84, can indulge his sweet tooth now that his sense of taste has returned after chemotherapy.

— Michael Collins, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of indulge

Verb

Fall summons the urge to nest, and as temperatures drop, so does the desire to leave the house.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2026
Government debt makes up more than 200% of its gross domestic product, leaving its finances highly sensitive to rising borrowing costs.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of leave

Verb

Earnest may modify or discontinue this offer at any time and without notice, however, once a Loyalty Discount is earned, it will not be taken away.

— Maya Benjamin,Dan Avery, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Junior varsity programs at lots of high schools have been discontinued for lack of players.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of discontinue

Noun

The note appears twice in handwriting and is typed again on the final report of well abandonment.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
For Smotkin, the water crisis reflects the island’s history of structural neglect and systemic abandonment by both local and federal authorities.

— Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of abandonment

Verb

Paul Skenes, last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner, lasted all of 4 2/3 innings, having surrendered five runs on eight hits.

— Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
When the Blakes want the third iteration of their teenage son Geoff, young Nathan Donovan must surrender his mind for another’s—but the transfer fails, leaving both consciousnesses fighting for their survival.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of surrender

Verb

Thoroughly unimpressed by her suburban idyll, and evidently unmoved by her responsibilities as wife and mother, Denise labors in her basement on a novel whose protagonist wishes to forsake her family for a life in New York.

— Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
Alicent’s forsaken him, and his betrothed has turned out to be a damned and ancient witch.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of forsake

Verb

Three Saudi companies have scrapped plans for initial public offerings that were scheduled over the next month because of expectations of weak investor demand as the Iran war weighs on sentiment, according to people familiar with the matter.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The Venice Film Festival is weighing scrapping its traditional opening jury press conference on the Lido.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of scrap

Browse Nearby Words

abaft

abandon

abandoned

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Abandon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandon. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of abandon

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes