ABSTAIN Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

abstain

verb

Definition of abstain

as in to refuse

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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 abstain Guests may abstain completely or alternate between alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks during the night. — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 If one or more commissioners choose to abstain from a merger vote because of ethical concerns, what would happen next is unclear. — ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026 Women are therefore advised to abstain from all drinking during pregnancy. — Isabella Cueto, STAT, 11 June 2026 Buried not so deep in the bylaws and statutes that legally define FIFA, is a pledge that the organization will abstain from the vagaries of politics. — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for abstain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstain

Verb

Gee refused to budge, saying the 10-year ban was firm and accusing the national organizations of encouraging the break.

— Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
In one instance, a Minnesota hotel that refused to let immigration officers stay there in January apologized after public criticism from DHS, saying the decision violated its internal policies.

— Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of refuse

Verb

Quebec voters have twice rejected independence, most recently by a razor-thin margin in a 1995 referendum.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
For countries that rejected the open international order, as the axis countries do today, the benefits were far fewer and the penalties considerable.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of reject

Verb

Evidence in that case showed that Asian applicants with very high test scores were often turned down.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
According to a 2026 survey funded by a high school trades group and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, 1 in 6 students reported trying to enroll in trades courses but being turned down due to a lack of space.

— P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of turn down

Verb

While its lawyers have not hesitated to send cease-and-desist letters to AI companies, Disney is among the big media companies looking for ways to get in the AI game and profit from its boom.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Please have a plan in place should flash flooding develop and do not hesitate to act.

— NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitate

Verb

Assad lied and temporized, the official said.

— Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Accompanying these principles must be a rejection of the impulse to temporize about the dangers that confront us and a rejection of the bizarre deprecation of our nation and civilization.

— Peter J. Travers, National Review, 29 Mar. 2022

Definition of temporize

Browse Nearby Words

absorption

abstain

abstained

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“Abstain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstain. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abstain

verb

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