ABANDONING Synonyms: 156 Similar and Opposite Words

abandoning

verb

present participle of abandon

as in indulging

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in leaving

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 canceling

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 discontinuing

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 abandoning Carreira cautioned against abandoning wholesale too early, however, as retailers remain vital for reaching customers and building visibility. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2026 Advertisement Dialogue does not mean abandoning our values, excusing aggression, or accepting injustice. — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 Democrats are favored to flip the House and remain competitive in the Senate, according to the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, forcing the GOP to burn millions protecting once-safe seats while abandoning former pickup targets. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 The challenge is to innovate without abandoning the characteristics customers recognize and appreciate. — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026 So, Correa repeatedly assured voters that abandoning the dollar would be catastrophic and was not on his agenda. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026 Carly Jones, campaign manager for Bennett, suggested the reports of GOP abandoning Kean could be overblown and urged Democrats to run hard through the finish line to win the race. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026 That begins with abandoning the fantasy of transforming the region by force. — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026 And in Steinbeck’s original telling, Cathy — the most beloved patricidal, baby-abandoning prostitute in literature — is simply born that way. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoning

Verb

His current employer is Damien Cantor, an authentically sleazy and slippery character who operates under no discernible code beyond indulging a dumb, preening narcissism.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
After the event was disrupted by an armed intruder, the Administration and the association scheduled a July do-over, where Trump delivered a rambling speech indulging seemingly every tangent that sprang to mind, but his contempt remained apparent.

— Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of indulging

Verb

Pattison joined Ricochet more than two years ago after leaving the UK arm of Pooch Perfect outfit Beyond Productions.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Ambulances were seen leaving the hospital to bring the children's bodies home as mourners wept and wailed.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of leaving

Verb

Organizers have held discussions around allowing overseas executives to participate virtually, Reuters reported last week, and The Wall Street Journal said that some executives are already canceling meetings.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Mission Control faced the prospect of aborting the landing, but Margaret's ingenious programming allowed the system to prioritize essential tasks while canceling the inessential ones.

— Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of canceling

Verb

Connecticut State Colleges and Universities is discontinuing the investigation into a complaint of bullying and workplace intimidation against Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro following her resignation.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
The brand has committed to discontinuing large-format liquid laundry bottles by 2030.

— Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of discontinuing

Verb

Dallas got thoroughly embarrassed at home by a winless Buccaneers squad, surrendering 241 rushing yards and making an 0-4 offense look explosive.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, the minivan became shorthand for surrendering to suburban family life.

— Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of surrendering

Verb

Supporters of 2022 World Cup champions Argentina were among the most visible in Doha during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with some saving for four years and forsaking home-buying in order to make the trip.

— Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
If bigger and better opportunities come along, striking while the iron is hot is a logical course of action, even when moves sometimes appear to make more sense for financial reasons than footballing ones and forsaking the comfort of operating in a stable environment.

— Andy Naylor, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026

Definition of forsaking

Verb

His party invited high school activists on stage at a rally Sunday, then proposed lowering the voting age to 16 and scrapping selective admissions at universities.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Bumble distinguished itself by only allowing women to message first, eventually going public in 2021 at a $14 billion valuation, before scrapping its hallmark rule this year amid declining users.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of scrapping

Verb

Theo was thinking about quitting his job to start his own business, which meant, for a time, no income.

— Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
Of the men who were part of the original study's AAS-using cohort, 35 were still taking the drugs, while the remaining participants were in varying stages of quitting, long-term abstinence and relapse.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of quitting

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“Abandoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoning. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abandoning

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