1
2

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb abet contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of abet are foment, incite, and instigate. While all these words mean "to spur to action," abet implies both assisting and encouraging.

aiding and abetting the enemy

When might foment be a better fit than abet?

The synonyms foment and abet are sometimes interchangeable, but foment implies persistence in goading.

fomenting rebellion

When can incite be used instead of abet?

The words incite and abet can be used in similar contexts, but incite stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating.

inciting a riot

In what contexts can instigate take the place of abet?

While in some cases nearly identical to abet, instigate definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention.

instigated a conspiracy

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 abet The federal government itself also has a near-monopoly on the market for economically ruinous student loans—the very loans that are themselves disproportionately responsible for abetting the modern four-year college's misbegotten status as a necessary rite of passage to achieve the American dream. Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025 Buy Now 03 of 10 'Alias Grace' by Margaret Atwood In 1840’s Toronto, scullery maid Grace Marks, 16, is accused of abetting the brutal murder of her employer and his pregnant housekeeper. Bailey Seybolt, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025 In October, prosecutors charged Ong for abetting ex-transport minister S. Iswaran over two flights, a night’s stay at the Four Seasons hotel in Doha, along with Formula-1 tickets. Jonathan Burgos, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 There’s a terrible host, and great movies like Life of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty, Amour, and Beasts of the Southern Wild are beaten out by Argo, a movie about a trivial sidelight to a geopolitical tragedy abetted by the United States for decades. Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abet
Verb
  • Doctors gave her Pitocin, a medication used to provoke contractions, and a Foley balloon, which is a catheter-​like device that gets the cervix to dilate.
    Kayla Grant, People.com, 20 May 2025
  • But if Washington follows a few principles, such improvements will not necessarily provoke Chinese aggression.
    Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • She was aided on the DeLeon groundout by a spectacular play by Karlie Davison at second base, who laid out to field the ball and made a strong throw to beat the runner to first.
    Ethan Westerman, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025
  • On May 22, a third woman was charged for aiding two of the 10 inmates who escaped from the jail known as the Orleans Justice Center, according to police.
    Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • The Royals promoted Caglianone to Triple-A Omaha a week ago — Sunday, May 18.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2025
  • To take Bregman’s place on the roster, the Red Sox promoted top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer, who started at third base and batted sixth in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • At first, caring for her mom meant reminding her to turn off the stove after cooking and assisting with the laundry.
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Indiana leads the postseason in 2-point shooting (56.5 percent), 3-point shooting (40.6 percent) and assisted buckets (29.7 per game).
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • There is no fee to nominate and self-nominations are encouraged.
    Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2025
  • Inner reflection is encouraged with Mercury in Gemini.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • To partially offset the lost revenue, Republicans propose repealing or phasing out more quickly the clean energy tax credits passed during Joe Biden’s presidency, helping to bring down the overall cost of the tax portion to about $3.8 trillion.
    Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
  • Probiotics can support gut health, which may help brain health by extension.
    Simon Spichak, Health, 16 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abet. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on abet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!