refrained; refraining; refrains
: to keep oneself from doing, feeling, or indulging in something and especially from following a passing impulse
refrained from having dessert
1
: a regularly recurring phrase or verse especially at the end of each stanza or division of a poem or song : chorus
also
: the musical setting of a refrain
2
: a comment or statement that is often repeated
Synonyms
Examples of refrain in a Sentence
Verb
I was going to make a joke but I refrained.
Noun
A common refrain among teachers these days is that the schools need more funding.
I didn't know the verses of the song, so I only sang on the refrain.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Part of that show of respect is to remain reverent during this event and to refrain from eating, sleeping, or going outside, instead taking the time to pray and sit still.
—The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
The courts have mostly refrained from granting bail to many of these individuals.
—Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
Steve Martin Reveals What Elvis Presley Thought of His Comedy Act After the King Caught His Las Vegas Show — New Doc
Glenn didn't even refrain from criticizing Steve when at industry events like premieres of movies his son was starring in.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
After Chinese intervention in the Korean War in 1950, the United States had to pull its punches—refraining from striking targets in China, for instance—for fear of starting a fight with Moscow.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2024
During the Middle Ages, eggs became prevalent during the Easter holiday since Catholic Christians refrained from eating eggs during Lent, but indulged in them once Easter arrived.
—Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
And when war was clearly imminent, her administration refrained from launching preemptive attacks that could have saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers.
—Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
That means asking passengers to attend to their personal hygiene and refrain from using perfume and cologne before the flight.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024
But Gorsuch's refrains reflect the uptick in nationwide injunctions imposed by district court judges over the past few years in response to court fights over hot-button policies.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024
The palace also asked that well-wishers refrain from laying flowers at the gates, as members of the public have historically done following deaths within the royal family.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Our ruling In a radio interview, Trump repeated familiar false refrains.
—Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Another common refrain is that permitting later work hours allows high school students opportunities similar to varsity athletes whose games often go later than state law allows teens to work.
—Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
Conversations with these parents—all of whom live in the New York City area, and whose kids attend a mix of public, charter, and private schools—hit common refrains.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
Back in the ’80s, that was a familiar refrain, especially among adults wary of the effect that electronic devices could have on developing young minds.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
Amid Israel's ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, her refrain serves as a reminder of the steep risks local reporters face to share unfiltered accounts of what is unraveling on the ground.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Even Netanyahu’s political rivals have refrained from publicly discussing the two-state solution since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
—Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Part of that show of respect is to remain reverent during this event and to refrain from eating, sleeping, or going outside, instead taking the time to pray and sit still.
—The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
The courts have mostly refrained from granting bail to many of these individuals.
—Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
Steve Martin Reveals What Elvis Presley Thought of His Comedy Act After the King Caught His Las Vegas Show — New Doc
Glenn didn't even refrain from criticizing Steve when at industry events like premieres of movies his son was starring in.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
After Chinese intervention in the Korean War in 1950, the United States had to pull its punches—refraining from striking targets in China, for instance—for fear of starting a fight with Moscow.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2024
During the Middle Ages, eggs became prevalent during the Easter holiday since Catholic Christians refrained from eating eggs during Lent, but indulged in them once Easter arrived.
—Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
And when war was clearly imminent, her administration refrained from launching preemptive attacks that could have saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers.
—Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
That means asking passengers to attend to their personal hygiene and refrain from using perfume and cologne before the flight.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Noun
With the appropriate budget, refrain from cutting corners or approaching it as just another home project.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024
But Gorsuch's refrains reflect the uptick in nationwide injunctions imposed by district court judges over the past few years in response to court fights over hot-button policies.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024
The palace also asked that well-wishers refrain from laying flowers at the gates, as members of the public have historically done following deaths within the royal family.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Our ruling In a radio interview, Trump repeated familiar false refrains.
—Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Another common refrain is that permitting later work hours allows high school students opportunities similar to varsity athletes whose games often go later than state law allows teens to work.
—Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
Conversations with these parents—all of whom live in the New York City area, and whose kids attend a mix of public, charter, and private schools—hit common refrains.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
Back in the ’80s, that was a familiar refrain, especially among adults wary of the effect that electronic devices could have on developing young minds.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
Amid Israel's ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, her refrain serves as a reminder of the steep risks local reporters face to share unfiltered accounts of what is unraveling on the ground.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refrain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Refrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refrain. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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