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
  • My New York neighbors barely said hello; in Singapore, a stranger would probably politely look away rather than risk embarrassing you.
    — Amanda Lee Koe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • After those results went public, embarrassing Muñiz and a few other judges, the Florida Bar stopped conducting surveys and publishing the results … leaving Florida voters with even fewer resources.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Verb
  • The decision to pursue short-term Band-Aid measures for a weak labor market and foreign trade tensions is confusing at first pass.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Trump and his officials also offered confusing messages as to why Starshield — which Ukraine uses for drone strikes and air defense — had been throttled.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • One aerial fight is a dazzler with long takes of planes swooping through the clouds accompanied by the teeth-rattling clatter of lightning bolts that crash against your ears like metal trashcan lids.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The rise of Starlink has put pressure on legacy broadband providers like Charter and Comcast, with the new report about Boost Mobile also rattling wireless carriers.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 2 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2026.

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