abandon 1 of 2

1
as in to indulge
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly more than ready to abandon himself to a life of complete idleness for the duration of his vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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abandon

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word abandon different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of abandon are relinquish, resign, surrender, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

When might relinquish be a better fit than abandon?

While in some cases nearly identical to abandon, relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

When can resign be used instead of abandon?

The words resign and abandon can be used in similar contexts, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When is it sensible to use surrender instead of abandon?

The words surrender and abandon are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

Where would waive be a reasonable alternative to abandon?

The meanings of waive and abandon largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

In what contexts can yield take the place of abandon?

In some situations, the words yield and abandon are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

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 abandon
Verb
In time, that ethos led to the formation of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries or STAR, a group that helped often abandoned youth find shelter. Raquel Willis, Time, 19 June 2025 The number of remote job postings has declined, but this shift shouldn’t be seen as a signal to abandon what many knowledge workers value most. Duane Tursi, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Noun
On the surface, the artist’s swirls, curls and modular shapes hit the eye with playful abandon. R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025 And there’s this kind of depth of realization and this total abandon of any feeling for him. Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abandon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandon
Verb
  • Baker, 37, indulged them, starting out of her Fairfax, Calif., living room a finance club that eventually became her present-day financial education startup, Dow Janes — which boasts an Instagram following of nearly half a million.
    Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
  • But unfortunately, indulging too much in fried foods will trigger your cortisol.
    Audrey Noble, Vogue, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement That confluence of tricky politics has left a lot of D.C.’s political class in a bind.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2025
  • Nevertheless, the move will leave Ipswich Town as the only women’s team in WSL2 playing outside their county.
    Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Senate lawmakers from both parties clashed with Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, on Wednesday over the Trump administration's proposal to cancel billions in federal spending on foreign aid, public broadcasting and global health programs.
    Sonam Sheth Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
  • The Department of Transportation is free to update its guidance about how that program is administered moving forward, Lin wrote, but that does not require suspending the distribution of money — and should not involve canceling plans that were already approved.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Ford discontinued the Timberline after the 2024 model year.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 30 June 2025
  • Rates of patients who discontinued the drug due to side effects were high, ranging from 10% to 29% within different groups that took it.
    Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • In recent years, challenges from Russian aggression to Chinese mercantilism to American abandonment have revealed just how unprepared a demilitarized Europe is to handle old-fashioned power politics.
    Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
  • Global executives bemoan the negative impacts of poor customer onboarding and subsequent abandonment.
    Alfred Kahn, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Left-hander José Castillo surrendered RBI singles to Eli White and Nick Allen.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025
  • Dominic Canzone’s sixth-inning home run was the seventh run Ober gave up, marking the second time in three starts that Ober has surrendered seven runs.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • The Blues featured a few Galaxy supporters in the group who weren’t going to forsake the then five-time MLS Cup winners for the league’s newest franchise.
    Josh Gross, Oc Register, 15 June 2025
  • The AfD, founded in 2013 on a promise to slash spending, close Germany’s borders, and forsake the European Union, had never earned such a powerful endorsement.
    Simon Shuster/Berlin, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In March 2024, JetBlue and Spirit scrapped a $3.8 billion merger agreement after a U.S. judge blocked the deal on anti-competition concerns.
    David Shepardson, USA Today, 26 June 2025
  • Finnair has also scrapped the remainder of its June service from its hub in Helsinki to Doha: No flights between the cities are available to book on its website until July.
    Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 24 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abandon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandon. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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