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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
So much so that by June 1870, Rillet filed a trademark injunction with the New York Supreme Court, trying to stop a competitor who had borrowed the name while abandoning the process.
—
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
At the same time, resilience isn’t about abandoning them to fend for themselves, either—instead parents should strive to strike a balance between the two extremes.
—Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 17 Feb. 2026
But today’s leaders have come to accept that abandoning it is the price of geopolitical relevance.
—Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Symbolically, this aligns with the idea of revising, restructuring, or changing the way something works rather than abandoning it completely.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026
Authorities in Georgia are searching for a woman accused of stealing a full-size school bus from an elementary school and driving it nearly 40 miles before abandoning it in another county, officials said.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
At the time, Vance shocked allies with an address accusing Europe of abandoning commitments to free speech, religious liberty, and other democratic ideals.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 14 Feb. 2026
The tech mogul, who helped found OpenAI, sued Altman and the company in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the firm’s founding values and manipulating him into investing in the ChatGPT maker.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
Security footage shows the missing man crashing his car and abandoning it near the Best Western Hotel on Enterprise Drive.
—Julia Avant, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
At the same time, resilience isn’t about abandoning them to fend for themselves, either—instead parents should strive to strike a balance between the two extremes.
—Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 17 Feb. 2026
But today’s leaders have come to accept that abandoning it is the price of geopolitical relevance.
—Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Symbolically, this aligns with the idea of revising, restructuring, or changing the way something works rather than abandoning it completely.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026
Authorities in Georgia are searching for a woman accused of stealing a full-size school bus from an elementary school and driving it nearly 40 miles before abandoning it in another county, officials said.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
At the time, Vance shocked allies with an address accusing Europe of abandoning commitments to free speech, religious liberty, and other democratic ideals.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 14 Feb. 2026
The tech mogul, who helped found OpenAI, sued Altman and the company in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the firm’s founding values and manipulating him into investing in the ChatGPT maker.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
Security footage shows the missing man crashing his car and abandoning it near the Best Western Hotel on Enterprise Drive.
—Julia Avant, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoning
Verb
-
Some people think indulging our children’s unexpectedly sophisticated tastes is financially reckless, socially absurd, or proof that parenting culture has lost the plot.—
Melissa Petro,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Fans who have known little more than disappointment are now indulging dreams of seeing the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.—
Tom Kludt,
Vanity Fair,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Before leaving, secure your home by locking it.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The rain started early in the morning and continued well into the night, soaking busy freeways in the midst of rush hour traffic and leaving some businesses and homes flooded.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This step includes canceling the student picture day scheduled for Thursday at Hilbert Elementary, a school in Wayne County's Redford Township that enrolls students pre-K through grade 6.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The host handed me a blindfold and Bose noise-canceling headphones, playing the hypnotic sounds of a space drum with birds chirping in the distance.—
Shelby Hartman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that while GLP-1s produce substantial initial weight loss, many people regain weight after discontinuing treatment.—
Tara Comonte,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The company is discontinuing its frozen products, which include orange juice and lemonade, the Coca-Cola Company, which owns Minute Maid, confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The suspect pulled over to the side of the freeway near the 101 Freeway northbound before surrendering to CHP officers.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Picking up his fourth and fifth strikeouts of the afternoon and inducing a soft ground ball, Dylan Volantis completed his fifth inning of work without surrendering a hit.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
-
So why would Walter consider forsaking some of those substantial financial resources?—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That change sought to keep tough limits for some common PFAS, but also proposed scrapping and reconsidering standards for other types and extending deadlines.—
Michael Phillis,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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The 73-year-old launched his presidency in 2023 by scrapping fuel subsidies and removing a currency peg, changes that initially drove up inflation but have since helped to attract investment and boost economic growth.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Barely two months after nearly quitting — her husband, former bobsledder Nic Taylor, flew to Norway after those texts to talk her out of it — Meyers Taylor won the women’s monobob gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.—
Tim Reynolds,
Denver Post,
17 Feb. 2026
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Schaffrick has quite a story — turning pro at 14 before growing disillusioned with the sport at 21, quitting to become a plumber.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abandoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoning. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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