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as in to deprive
to take something away from recurring problems could not abate her of her enthusiasm for the project

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word abate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of abate are ebb, subside, and wane. While all these words mean "to die down in force or intensity," abate stresses the idea of progressive diminishing.

the storm abated

Where would ebb be a reasonable alternative to abate?

The words ebb and abate can be used in similar contexts, but ebb suggests the receding of something (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes.

the ebbing of daylight

When is it sensible to use subside instead of abate?

Although the words subside and abate have much in common, subside implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation.

the protests subsided after a few days

In what contexts can wane take the place of abate?

The synonyms wane and abate are sometimes interchangeable, but wane suggests the fading or weakening of something good or impressive.

waning enthusiasm

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of abate And the civil war shows little sign of abating. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025 Interest in the sausages shows no sign of abating. Don Riddell, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025 The homes are also tax-abated and surrounded by landscaped green spaces, pocket parks, and a row of 30 car condos available to purchase for $375,000-$575,000 per unit. Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Sep. 2025 There has been little sign of high temperatures abating; 2025 began with the hottest January on record. Elfatih Eltahir, Time, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abate
Verb
  • Yet two years passed before the painting was discovered, and only then because Peruggia – who had kept the painting hidden in his Paris apartment all of that time, waiting for the furor over the theft to subside – attempted to sell it to an Italian art dealer.
    Mason Leath, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • After a moment, my sobs subsided.
    Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Now, many employers are looking to harness the power of AI—initially for mundane and repetitive tasks and eventually for more complicated jobs—to reduce the need to maintain the same level of human staffers on their payrolls.
    Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • And drivers can reduce the risk of their cars being hit.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That uneven use of the death penalty is one of the reasons advocates want to abolish it.
    Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Additionally, individual states can’t decide to abolish the practice without Congressional approval.
    Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Apple isn’t the first to subtract the plus sign from its streaming platform.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
  • But in an Akan language, the notion that an object could exist as a bare substrate, stripped of properties—say, the idea of a stone, with its weight, texture, and color subtracted—is basically unintelligible; the metaphysical split between a thing and its properties isn’t naturally expressible.
    Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Poverty does more than deprive people of resources.
    Scott Ellis, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Officials say there were no survivors inside the facility, depriving investigators of crucial eyewitness accounts of the final moments leading up to the explosion.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Though the number of uninsured motorist was decreasing during the 2010s, the COVID-19 pandemic reversed the trend, with some Americans, who were driving less often, dropping their insurance, USA TODAY reported.
    Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
  • In addition, the rebound numbers could decrease for Towns.
    Stan Son, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Months after Missouri lawmakers passed a sweeping incentives package for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, voters across the state could have a chance to repeal it.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Gay people could not openly serve in the military until Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed in 2011.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • You are entitled to a refund of the security deposit or any balance left after deducting legitimate charges, according to Legal Aid of North Carolina.
    Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2025
  • People receiving a state income tax refund have the amount of their delinquent parking citations deducted from their refund.
    Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abate. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on abate

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