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abashing

verb

present participle of abash
as in embarrassing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress felt terribly abashed when she walked into the wrong hotel room

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abashing
  1. embarrassing
  2. confusing
  3. rattling
  4. flustering
  5. disconcerting
Verb
  • Neither party acted on it; Republicans wanted to avoid embarrassing Trump, while Democrats wanted to avoid embarrassing Nancy Pelosi, whose husband is an active trader.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Since then, Hochman has been slammed for playing politics, embarrassing his office and even backing down for no reason other than the pressure was too intense.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Verb
  • The board’s real contribution is to prevent the organization from confusing speed with progress, automation with accountability or intelligence with wisdom.
    — David Ribott, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Here, misfits are welcome, and bric-a-brac is part of the appeal; the wonderfully bizarre name and devil-may-care attitude have been confusing (and delighting) first-timers for more than 70 years.
    — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • There’s a passage in the final movement when the full orchestra, reinforced by trumpets, trombones, tuba, and a thunder roll of timpani, clamber up to a teeth-rattling fortissimo.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • During the Thursday vigil, friends and family of the deceased narrowly dodged a vehicle involved in a high-speed police chase, further rattling residents and drawing criticism of Milwaukee police.
    — April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rattling
Verb
  • The Pistons’ defense is swarming and flustering the Cavs.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 8 May 2026
  • But Seymour threw on a press, flustering the Patriots, who began to turn the ball over.
    — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Definition of flustering
Verb
  • Rates of autism are rising to previously unseen levels, owing largely to better detection and new diagnostic criteria, but the numbers are still disconcerting.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • It is filled with off-putting, perhaps even disconcerting antics, and teams don't want to add that to their locker room.
    — Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of disconcerting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

abashes
abashing
abashment
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Cite this Entry

“Abashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abashing. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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