as in assisting
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1
as in provoking
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the belief that violent entertainment abets violent behavior in the people who partake of it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aiding
to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end
car thieves are often unwittingly abetted by owners foolishly leaving the keys in the ignition
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Recent Examples of abetting
Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
This included prominent businessmen, landowners, poets, novelists, and local officials who were detested for abetting Japanese rule.
—Kornel Chang
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Special prosecutors investigating the country’s martial law crisis also indicted on Friday former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo who was appointed by Yoon on charges of abetting insurrection and committing perjury, a prosecution spokesperson said.
—CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng has been spared a jail sentence after pleading guilty to abetting a senior Singapore politician in obstructing the course of justice in a rare gifting scandal in the city-state known for its squeaky clean image.
—Jonathan Burgos, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
For the small-scale paintings, being mysterious and also chic are only abetting sales.
—Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 13 Mar. 2025
The aiding-and-abetting language has raised fears among advocates for homeless people that anyone seeking to help those living in encampments could soon have a target on their backs.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
Meta’s platforms have been accused of playing a key role in the organization of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and abetting genocide in Myanmar.
—Clare Duffy, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
Han’s impeachment motion accuses him of collaborating and abetting Yoon’s declaration of martial law.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
There is a painful irony in this reversal of national fortunes, best illustrated by the current running joke in Brazil that the White House has opened a US embassy on American soil, a nod to the US government’s nefarious history of abetting authoritarianism in Brazil.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
This included prominent businessmen, landowners, poets, novelists, and local officials who were detested for abetting Japanese rule.
—Kornel Chang
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Special prosecutors investigating the country’s martial law crisis also indicted on Friday former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo who was appointed by Yoon on charges of abetting insurrection and committing perjury, a prosecution spokesperson said.
—CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng has been spared a jail sentence after pleading guilty to abetting a senior Singapore politician in obstructing the course of justice in a rare gifting scandal in the city-state known for its squeaky clean image.
—Jonathan Burgos, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
For the small-scale paintings, being mysterious and also chic are only abetting sales.
—Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 13 Mar. 2025
The aiding-and-abetting language has raised fears among advocates for homeless people that anyone seeking to help those living in encampments could soon have a target on their backs.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
Meta’s platforms have been accused of playing a key role in the organization of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and abetting genocide in Myanmar.
—Clare Duffy, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
Han’s impeachment motion accuses him of collaborating and abetting Yoon’s declaration of martial law.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abetting
Verb
-
Officials’ insistence that citizens who record agents are provoking violent retribution is a justification for what is becoming a very literal war on truth.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Jan. 2026
-
In the main event of SmackDown, Trick Williams defeated Damian Priest by DQ after provoking Sami Zayn.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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She was also charged with concealing and aiding a fugitive, but that charge was later dropped.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Choose Iowa gives food banks more options A state program bringing together farmers and consumers also has played a role in aiding food banks.—
F. Amanda Tugade,
Des Moines Register,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The build has felt oddly subdued for much of the month, largely because the focus shifted toward promoting the quarterly Peacock special instead.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The conversations around politics were largely unfolding at panels, such as the American Civil Liberties Union event attended by DuVernay, and as the stars were promoting their films on red carpets ahead of their premieres.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Tennessee National Guard said about 170 soldiers and airmen were assisting with recovery efforts, including helping more than 200 people stranded in vehicles and homes and providing rides to nearly 300 emergency and health care workers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
After college, and a short stint assisting an old school talent agent in Manhattan, Emanuel headed to Hollywood.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety is also encouraging impacted customers to contact them by submitting a complaint online or calling 303-866-4967.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Known for encouraging collaboration in a competitive industry, Brotherton was widely regarded as someone who championed other cooks as much as his own success.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The polysaccharides found in certain species, such as snow mushroom (Tremella fuciformis), work in a similar way to hyaluronic acid by helping the skin attract and maintain moisture while supporting the skin barrier.—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Those characterizations outraged his family and Democratic politicians, who pointed to bystander videos showing Pretti helping a woman who had been pushed by an ICE agent and holding only his camera.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Along with her late husband, the pair founded VIB, an anti-violence nonprofit dedicated to raising social awareness and aiding community causes in Boston, federal prosecutors said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
During the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden proposed raising the corporate tax rate.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His allies would say the victim had provoked their own death and blame Democrats for inciting the violence.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Certain messages or actions, like inciting immediate violence or making true threats, aren’t protected speech.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abetting. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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