abate

abate, subside, wane, ebb mean to die down in force or intensity. abate stresses the idea of progressive diminishing. the storm abated subside implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation. the protests subsided after a few days wane suggests the fading or weakening of something good or impressive. waning enthusiasm ebb suggests the receding of something (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes. the ebbing of daylight

synonyms see in addition decrease

Examples of abate in a Sentence

For a while, in the Cold War's aftermath, the public fascination for espionage may abate, though somehow I doubt it. — John le Carré, Boston Globe, 19 Nov. 1989 At about six, as the heat abated, people began to crowd the streets and marketplaces, and to fill the cafés. — Milton Viorst, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 1987 But his attitude of sullen grievance and simmering fury never abated fully. — Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984 We waited for the wind to abate. interest in the author's home abated as her novels waned in popularity

Recent Examples on the Web Yet the whiplash many New York City students, parents and teachers felt — from a full shutdown before Thanksgiving to a partial reopening less than three weeks later — is not likely to abate as the fall turns to winter. — New York Times, "How New York City Plans to Keep Children Safe as Schools Reopen," 7 Dec. 2020 But while trade tensions are likely to abate, an end to the skirmishes over tech and tax that marked the Trump era is too much to hope for. — Rochelle Toplensky, WSJ, "Tech Could Trip Up Biden’s European Reunion," 13 Nov. 2020 Yet extra staff from travel agencies didn’t arrive until August, when the surge began to abate. — Lauren Caruba, ExpressNews.com, "Burnout. Trauma. Disillusionment: The toll of COVID-19 on San Antonio hospital workers," 17 Dec. 2020 The forces that drive them into the sky eventually abate; erosion takes care of what is left behind. — The Economist, "Extraterrestrial hiking Following the tracks of NASA’s Curiosity rover," 16 Dec. 2020 Lynn decided to take over coaching special teams full-time last week after the Chargers’ struggles refused to abate. — Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, "Chargers vs. Falcons matchups: Justin Herbert, offense look to rebound," 13 Dec. 2020 And close to 3,000 Americans died from the virus on Wednesday, a level that is not expected to abate in the coming weeks. — Anchorage Daily News, "Momentum builds for bipartisan $908 billion stimulus package as more GOP senators express support," 3 Dec. 2020 The settlement money would mostly be used for measures to abate the opioid crisis, including treatment programs, and to reimburse local and state governments for expenses related to the epidemic. — New York Times, "$26 Billion Settlement Offer in Opioid Lawsuits Gains Wide Support," 5 Nov. 2020 Ultimately, foreign exchange pressures will not abate until Argentina presents a credible path to sustainable fiscal accounts, argued Mr Czerwonko [the chief investment officer for emerging markets in the Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management]. — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, "The Capital Note: Amazon Damned (by the EU)," 10 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

8 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Abate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abate. Accessed 15 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for abate

abate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of abate

: to become weaker : to decrease in strength

See the full definition for abate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

abate

verb

\ ə-ˈbāt

abated; abating

Kids Definition of abate

: to make or become less The flood abated slowly.

abate

verb

\ ə-ˈbāt

abated; abating

Legal Definition of abate

transitive verb

1a : to put an end to or do away with abate a nuisance

b : to make void : nullify abate an action

2 : to reduce in amount especially proportionately abate a tax

intransitive verb

1 : to become defeated or become null or void when a public officer who is a party to an appeal…in an official capacity dies…the action does not abate — Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 43

2 : to decrease in amount or value the legacies abated proportionately

Note: A problem arises in estate law when the amount of the bequests and devises made in a will exceeds the assets available in the estate. In such a case, some or all of the bequests and devises may have to be abated to make up the deficit. Under the Uniform Probate Code, property in the estate that is not given under the will abates first, residuary devises abate second, general devises abate third, and specific devises abate last.

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