1
as in indulging
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leaving
to cause to remain behind
abandoned the group that he had been hiking with and struck out on his own
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in canceling
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
the bad weather forced NASA to abandon the launch
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in discontinuing
to stop doing (something) permanently
marriage customs that were abandoned decades ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abandoning
More than a dozen other signs reference a former redlight district, the Civil War, and a presidential party abandoning a leaky ship and swimming to shore.
—
Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
Agents exchanged unverified data, and discussed abandoning English in favor of a machine-native language.
—Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Bedard is clear that the solution is not abandoning AI, but rethinking how human workers best interact with these tools as the AI revolution accelerates.
—Lana Zak, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Still, abandoning my life in New York City and committing to the incalculable unknowns of being the resident baker at the South Pole was immoderate, even for me.
—Cree Lefavour, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
Graduate students from five countries, midway through multi-year projects, face abandoning research that represents years of their lives.
—Dave Doneson, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Downsizing to a carry-on doesn’t mean abandoning your skincare routine.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
As hospital staff scattered, the footage shows the gunman abandoning the wheelchair and hopping away, according to the complaint.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Smart CEOs understand that abandoning purpose would be catastrophic for business.
—Sona Khosla, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
Agents exchanged unverified data, and discussed abandoning English in favor of a machine-native language.
—Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Bedard is clear that the solution is not abandoning AI, but rethinking how human workers best interact with these tools as the AI revolution accelerates.
—Lana Zak, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Still, abandoning my life in New York City and committing to the incalculable unknowns of being the resident baker at the South Pole was immoderate, even for me.
—Cree Lefavour, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
Graduate students from five countries, midway through multi-year projects, face abandoning research that represents years of their lives.
—Dave Doneson, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Downsizing to a carry-on doesn’t mean abandoning your skincare routine.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
As hospital staff scattered, the footage shows the gunman abandoning the wheelchair and hopping away, according to the complaint.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Smart CEOs understand that abandoning purpose would be catastrophic for business.
—Sona Khosla, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoning
Verb
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The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.—
Hamilton Cain,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
-
There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And that majority shrank further after Greene retired in January, leaving her seat vacant for several months as Congress is at a standstill amid a partial government shutdown.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
11 Mar. 2026
-
At least one officer with the Los Angeles Police Department shot an allegedly armed man on Tuesday morning, leaving him hospitalized.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Airplane cabins aren’t exactly known for being quiet, which is where Tozo’s noise-canceling earbuds come in handy.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to the loss of manpower, VOA cut its broadcast infrastructure, canceling contracts with satellite providers last year to broadcast into Middle Eastern countries, according to VOA employees.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some of the changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Pentagon in January, including discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge, introducing a Military Service merit badge and waiving registration fees for the children of military personnel.—
Jamie Stengle,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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Some of the changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Department of Justice earlier this year, which included discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge and introducing a Military Service merit badge, the Pentagon said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But UConn faltered in the second half, surrendering a 20-4 run and at one point going nearly eight minutes between field goals.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Second- and third-round picks usually only return depth players at the deadline, but Columbus has acquired a legitimate difference-maker with term beyond this season without surrendering a first-round pick or any prospects.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But that doesn’t mean forsaking the forecast and the threat of more dipping temperatures to come.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The Padres dressed like the Brewers and Mariners, forsaking the brown-and-gold merchandise boom to come.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Big 12 is reportedly scrapping the court for Friday’s semifinals.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Vietnam is also considering scrapping its tariffs on fuel imports.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some nicotine products, including patches and gum, have been shown to nearly double the chances of someone quitting smoking.—
Erica Sweeney,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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National Geographic also reported that heavy drinking and marijuana use directly contribute to declining fertility and that quitting these habits, while also exercising and losing weight, can help.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abandoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoning. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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