abandonment

noun

ə-ˈban-dən-mənt How to pronounce abandonment (audio)
Definition of abandonmentnext
1
as in abandon
carefree freedom from constraint sang at the top of her lungs with complete abandonment in the shower

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desertion
the act of abandoning the law says abandonment by the owner of any building for more than a year entitles the city to sell it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cancellation
the act of putting an end to something planned or previously agreed to the park commissioner cited cost considerations as the main reason for the project's abandonment

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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 abandonment Federal abandonment of kudzu left the plant to spread along the unmanaged margins of the region, sparking exaggerated fears about its unchecked growth. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026 Law enforcement sources involved in the case told WJZ that the horse was being cared for by someone who is facing animal cruelty and abandonment charges in an unrelated case in West Virginia. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 The region’s leaders complained endlessly of feeling abandoned but never behaved as if abandonment were a significant possibility. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Your husband’s abandonment was surely jarring, painful and confusing. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abandonment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandonment
  1. abandon
  2. desertion
  3. cancellation
  4. naturalness
  5. defection
  6. repeal
  7. dumping
  8. abolition
Noun
  • There must have been a hundred of us there, circling the truck, clambering onto its hood, shuffling and shimmying and twerking with abandon.
    — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Curry connected with fans like me because, as a performer, the man seemed able to do anything, and do it with a kind of liberated abandon and eagerness to entertain.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of abandon
Noun
  • The core of the story is the desertion and betrayal of Roseanna McCoy by all concerned.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Furthermore, the Ukrainian army is short-handed, facing around 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by around 2 million people, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in January.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of desertion
Noun
  • In the wake of the attacks, Strahan was one of the players who pushed for the cancellation of that weekend's football games out of respect for those lost.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But there’s also an active noise cancellation system that uses the new, very thin membrane speakers that JLR developed together with Warwick Audio that are mounted in the seat headrests.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of cancellation
Noun
  • The ensemble of actors is convincing in its naturalness, with the characterizations remaining consistently precise and ambivalent.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Inside the wilderness, a big part of it is to return naturalness, right?
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 29 July 2026
Definition of naturalness
Noun
  • Indeed, Glaser’s defection to WME shocked many inside UTA’s Beverly Hills headquarters, three insiders say.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The standout performer is Yoane Wissa, who was signed after Isak’s defection last summer and then barely resembled a footballer.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of defection
Noun
  • Notably, the lawsuit also asks that the repeal be declared unlawful.
    — Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Is she entitled to additional spousal benefits because of the repeal of GPO?
    — Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of repeal
Noun
  • Jaiden and Caleb left the villa in what was the biggest single-night dumping of the season.
    — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Is Liberia an American dumping ground — or a place where a new generation of arrivals can build a new life?
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of dumping
Noun
  • At that time, his eldest daughter, Maria Adelaide, ascended to the throne—a succession made possible by the abolition of the Salic Law, which had restricted the line of succession to males only.
    — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Long after the abolition of slavery, many white southerners, including my father, who was born into the first breaths of the civil-rights movement, were still raised by Black nannies.
    — Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of abolition

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Cite this Entry

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

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