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
Some people must take them, but others must be abandoned. Mariana Enriquez october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025 Still, large pools of undeployed capital remain available, and major institutional players show little sign of abandoning real estate as a core asset class. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Naomi is a textbook Jewish mother, nagging and cajoling and smothering her children with logorrheic abandon. Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025 In that environment, bad habits beckon; habits that encourage Maye to play with abandon because why shouldn’t a quarterback asked to carry his team, throw and run and score touchdowns, try to do everything all by himself? Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abandon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandon
Verb
  • To tell the jokes that make others groan, but to do it wholeheartedly and keep the faith that there are people out there — their people — who will not only indulge, but truly adore, their senses of humor.
    Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
  • And what better excuse to get dressed up than to indulge and imbibe in a new dining experience?
    Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Nobody wants to be seen by voters as the cause of a shutdown that will leave many federal workers without pay and some services closed.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The photographs show how the wearable had swelled leaving no gap between his finger and the ring.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This simple transmitter plugs into the headphone jack on your screen and connects to your favorite noise-canceling headphones to drown out the sounds of other passengers while allowing for hours of entertainment with your own personal earbuds.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
  • While airlines don't yet have travel advisories for travel to and from Phoenix, airlines generally rebook passengers on the next available flight at no additional cost when a flight is canceled or delayed.
    Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Shani line was ultimately discontinued, and Shani and the associated dolls were absorbed into the overall Barbie line.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Volunteering that requires oversight by personnel that can’t be provided will also discontinue.
    Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The investigation into the baby's abandonment is ongoing, with police asking anyone with information to come forward.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Beneath her white coat and calm demeanor lived a woman weathered by trauma, grief, and emotional abandonment.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Cowboys’ defense may have reached its lowest point last week against the Bears, surrendering 31 points, four touchdown passes and a 60 percent success rate on third downs.
    Mike Jones, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
  • It’s been a rough couple of years and an uneven few weeks for the Broncos’ secondary, which often finds itself on the receiving end of criticism for surrendering big plays and big passing yards.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Tomorrow belonged to individuals who broke the rules, forsaking protocol to act inventively.
    Angus Fletcher, Big Think, 29 Sep. 2025
  • American brands such as Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, and the Row have often forsaken New York Fashion Week to show in Paris or on their own schedules, or not at all.
    Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The decision to scrap an access-all-areas documentary — as revealed by The Athletic in July — also curtailed what could have been a valuable source of income.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Textiles have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of AGOA and, by some estimates, up to 300,000 jobs could be at risk if AGOA were scrapped.
    Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abandon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandon. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

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