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
Some of the subpoenaed nonprofits, including FLI, Ekō, and Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology, have also been publicly critical of Musk and xAI for, among other things, neglecting or abandoning their commitments to AI safety.
—
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
The soldier said that the main concern of troops in the area is that the Ukrainian leadership will try to hold onto what remains of Pokrovsk for as long as possible because abandoning the city would be seen as a major failure.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
Labour will be very wary of abandoning its election manifesto promise not to raise income tax, however, and any moves to do so will leave the party wide open to attacks from opponents such as the Conservatives and increasingly popular party, Reform.
—Ian King, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
A little over 3,000 residents voted in favor of abandoning the government.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
The Virginia gubernatorial election results show that Latino voters are abandoning the Republican Party, a GOP strategist has said.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The man got out of the truck and ran off, abandoning his vehicle, police said.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
And for Andrew, that might mean abandoning his ex-wife to her own devices.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Nov. 2025
The country’s bear population is increasing, perhaps because the human population is declining and abandoning rural settlements.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
The soldier said that the main concern of troops in the area is that the Ukrainian leadership will try to hold onto what remains of Pokrovsk for as long as possible because abandoning the city would be seen as a major failure.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
Labour will be very wary of abandoning its election manifesto promise not to raise income tax, however, and any moves to do so will leave the party wide open to attacks from opponents such as the Conservatives and increasingly popular party, Reform.
—Ian King, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
A little over 3,000 residents voted in favor of abandoning the government.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
The Virginia gubernatorial election results show that Latino voters are abandoning the Republican Party, a GOP strategist has said.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The man got out of the truck and ran off, abandoning his vehicle, police said.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
And for Andrew, that might mean abandoning his ex-wife to her own devices.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Nov. 2025
The country’s bear population is increasing, perhaps because the human population is declining and abandoning rural settlements.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoning
Verb
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What’s gained by indulging our doom?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.—
David Lyman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For years, younger generations have flocked to big cities for better job opportunities, leaving a dwindling elderly population in rural villages.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Six Central and North American teams scratched, leaving Cuba to qualify.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Many Latinos are canceling doctor appointments to head off possible confrontation with immigration enforcement officials.—
Phillip Reese,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Ali airport also shutdown overnight, canceling 21 flights or 16% of the day's total flights, according to the airport's executive director Dann Mann.—
Connor Giffin,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The report also said that General Motors executives have discussed discontinuing some electric trucks, too, citing people familiar with the matter.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The states’ lawsuit warned that discontinuing the grant funding would irreparably harm students, leaving many rural and low-income schools without mental health providers or services critical to students’ safety and well-being.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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How to Watch Arizona Cardinals vs Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys struggled defensively in their 44-24 road loss to the Denver Broncos last week, surrendering four touchdown passes and 426 yards of offense.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
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Andrew might not move to Sandringham until after the Christmas holidays, another source said, because giving notice, surrendering the lease and orchestrating the move is expected to take some time.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So forsaking crossing instead of cacciatore makes infinite sense.—
Irv Erdos,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Nov. 2025
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The story claims a heartsick Noccalula threw herself over the waterfall instead of forsaking her true love by being forced to marry another.—
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The final two months of the regular season will likely feature all kinds of scratching, pecking and scrapping for divisional leads and postseason berths.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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In some ways, still in charge, and in some ways scratching, scrapping, reaching for — but always just missing out.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Charlotte Moore has made her first statement hire since quitting the BBC to join The Crown producer Left Bank.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
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Ariana Grande is opening up about nearly quitting music.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abandoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoning. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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