abandoned 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈban-dənd How to pronounce abandoned (audio)
Definition of abandonednext
1
as in deserted
left unoccupied or unused she consciously avoided walking past the abandoned house, with its broken windows and sagging porch

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2
as in rampant
showing no signs of being under control wild, abandoned dancing that shocked the staid chaperones at the debutante ball

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abandoned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of abandon
1
as in indulged
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

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2
as in left
to cause to remain behind abandoned the group that he had been hiking with and struck out on his own

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3
as in canceled
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to) the bad weather forced NASA to abandon the launch

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4
as in discontinued
to stop doing (something) permanently marriage customs that were abandoned decades ago

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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 abandoned
Adjective
Antonia Noori Farzan The Providence Police Department is urging drivers to stay off the road, saying that stuck and abandoned cars are causing problems and preventing the city from getting back to normal. — Eryn Dion, The Providence Journal, 24 Feb. 2026 Rogers is shopworker Polly Parrish, who gets mistakenly identified as the parent of an abandoned baby. — Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
This all raises the question of why the orangutans were abandoned, alone on the forest ground. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 Why is private philanthropy hesitant to step in to cover underfunded programs that have been abandoned by many governments? — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abandoned
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoned
  1. deserted
  2. rampant
  3. indulged
  4. stranded
  5. canceled
  6. discontinued
  7. disused
  8. runaway
Adjective
  • The suitcase containing her body was found soon afterward by railway tracks in a deserted area.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Supporting this theory, the population of Lauriacum increased threefold over the next fifty years, with the deserted settlement now being used as a quarry.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of deserted
Adjective
  • Yet, we’re told by this administration that non-citizen voting is rampant and must be eradicated.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Co-existence with extraterrestrials has seen humans revert to old habits of prejudice and apartheid; crime and corruption are rampant as ever; pop-up ads now irksomely manifest as holograms in your personal space.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of rampant
Verb
  • There was no mention of a funeral in Adrien’s letter, and for a moment, Adelaide indulged the thought of ordering a carriage for Moscow.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • My daughter was enchanted by the Balinese rice-on-the-forehead ritual for good fortune that is a part of the arrival, and the front desk staff happily indulged her request to do it again—multiple times a day.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of indulged
Verb
  • There is a possibility of being stranded on Hatteras Island for multiple days.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Two Utah residents who hiked Mount Shasta in Northern California were rescued after they became stranded during a perilous 36-hour journey through freezing conditions.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of stranded
Verb
  • The Vatican had originally estimated a weeklong hospital stay, and had canceled his audiences through Tuesday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In a sign of the impact on the party, MK canceled its flagship Siyathatha rally less than three weeks before South Africa’s municipal elections.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of canceled
Verb
  • Far smaller rollouts of sophisticated light-duty driving systems from various auto companies have been available in limited markets in recent years, but have been discontinued.
    — Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Late in the summer of 2012, Ahmed discontinued communication with both women.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of discontinued
Adjective
  • The residents occasionally gather in a disused rec center but the meetings devolve into rants about immigrants, junkies, thugs and vigilantism.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • At least 14 artisanal miners are dead and scores are injured at a disused mine in South Africa, police said Tuesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of disused
Adjective
  • The rebuttal, though methodical and logical, was little more than a momentary speed bump for the runaway popularity of the psychedelic bread story.
    — Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Teen’s death reignited debate over carriage rides The latest push for a ban started in June, when 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, visiting the city from India, died after jumping from a runaway horse carriage during a ride with family members.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of runaway

Browse Nearby Words

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abandoned
abandoner
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Cite this Entry

“Abandoned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoned. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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