1
as in theoretic
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea
the book deals with abstract matters such as honesty and integrity on the job as well as practical subjects such as asking for a raise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impressionistic
using elements of form (as color, line, or texture) with little or no attempt at creating a realistic picture
Cubism is a style of abstract art in which natural forms are broken up into geometric shapes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
the scientist wrote a bare-bones abstract of his research and conclusions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in manifestation
a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality)
a recent college valedictorian who's been hailed as the very abstract of what's right with today's young people
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to distract
to draw the attention or mind to something else
personal problems abstracted him so persistently that he struggled to keep his mind on his work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
took the 135-page report and abstracted it in three short paragraphs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of abstract
Longreads, 1 July 2025
The ensemble included shades of emerald green, fuchsia, red and black styled in an abstract aesthetic with safety pins holding the pieces of fabric together.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 June 2025
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 May 2025
These mental pictures settled my idea of America, my adoptive country, turning the abstract into reality.
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
Block’s integration will also abstract away backend complexity—converting and settling payments behind the scenes.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstract
Adjective
In the process, these scripts shed their ties to physical objects and actions, so that the objects their glyphs once depicted have little or no bearing on their current meaning: the characters in a script are abstract symbols, not descriptive icons.
—Longreads, 1 July 2025
The ensemble included shades of emerald green, fuchsia, red and black styled in an abstract aesthetic with safety pins holding the pieces of fabric together.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 June 2025
Noun
Although the freedom of using inexpensive digital video had inspired the project, Jia mixes and matches media throughout Caught by the Tides, leading to a tapestry of cinematic textures that begins to border on the abstract.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 May 2025
These mental pictures settled my idea of America, my adoptive country, turning the abstract into reality.
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Verb
Over time, more and more layers of software development were abstracted away, to the point where assembly code is barely even taught anymore.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
Block’s integration will also abstract away backend complexity—converting and settling payments behind the scenes.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstract
Adjective
-
As if acknowledging the decidedly impressionistic quality of the translation, each of Emoji Dick’s lines of emoji was accompanied by the original text.—
Longreads,
Longreads,
1 July 2025
-
One standout, runner-up finisher Jailbird from director Andrew Salter, is less impressionistic.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
This pick comes with a concise summary, not a full Long Idea report.—
David Trainer,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Being confirmed required the ability to read and interpret the Bible and Martin Luther’s Catechism, a summary of the Lutheran Church’s beliefs.—
Thomas A. DuBois,
The Conversation,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
However, whether the brain changes are a cause of the mental health issues, an effect of them, or are independent manifestation of overwork is unclear.—
Paul Hsieh,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Maybe this was a manifestation of the same streaming bloat that has also, recently, produced maddeningly incomplete seasons of hit shows like The Last of Us and Squid Game.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
While the housing bill got lost among numerous priorities during this year’s legislative session, top leaders are now laser-focused on the issue and will not be distracted.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
-
The president’s critics, meanwhile, accuse him of using the scandal to distract from stalled reforms and growing public dissatisfaction.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
The motive can be summarized as pure agency, pure evil; in other words, premeditated murder.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
4 July 2025
-
The ubiquity of that level of hit-making is summarized in Sheeran's TIME feature.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Final Approach The consequences are no longer theoretical.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
For the first time in decades, the question of succession is no longer theoretical.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Twin Cities,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Both the former president and former first lady shared the same photo showing an outline of the two of them alongside Malia watching fireworks.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
4 July 2025
-
Documents released last month about the approval of Moderna's new COVID-19 vaccine for only seniors ages 65 and older and others with at least one underlying condition down to age 12 outline a rationale similar to the one Prasad used in his decision about the Novavax shot.—
Nicole Brown Chau,
CBS News,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
Flagship boutiques from Milan and Paris lined the promenades, conjuring images of home.—
Natalie Hoberman,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
The 25 kilos of drugs were wrapped in packaging featuring the iconic gun-brandishing cartoon character, the Walton County Sheriff's Office said in a social media post, which included images of the cocaine.—
July 1,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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