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
Sometimes, people even abandon a site, leaving no trace of human activity after a catastrophic event. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2025 The film exposes the struggles of a community forced to abandon their homes due to the relentless violence inflicted by the Myanmar military. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 Sep. 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 company also discontinued using the marketing materials flagged in the case.
    Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Sep. 2025
  • GoPro discontinued the desktop version of Quik last year, but offers plug-ins for Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve for power users who prefer editing on a laptop or desktop.
    Craig Wilson, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The sister also had saved newspaper clippings from 1989 about their abandonment.
    Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Officers helped rescue the child and called local police to report the abandonment.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 23 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
  • 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
  • Some forsake BOGOs in favor of slashing cents or dollars off select items.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • That may not sound too bad, but what should be more worrying to the palace is that, when asked a more direct question about whether to scrap the crown, support for republicanism surged.
    Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abandon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandon. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

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