abetting 1 of 2

adjective

as in assisting

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abetting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of abet
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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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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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 abetting
Verb
Cease fire; stop genocide; end investments abetting settler colonialism. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 With the goal of smuggling themselves to Turkey, the women are eventually found out for keeping a secret or two from the conspirators abetting their plan. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026 Prosecutors won a 77-year sentence on Wednesday for 27-year-old Kyle Spitze on charges of producing child pornography, possessing and accessing the material, and abetting the distribution of animal crush videos. — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026 The White House has in recent days also pressured Israel’s leader to condemn Israeli settlers’ siege of Palestinians in the West Bank, which soldiers stand accused of abetting. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Olivia Hernandez Olivo was sentenced in June 2025 after her attorney entered an Alford plea for aiding and abetting in second-degree murder on her behalf. — Shannon Tyler june 17, Idaho Statesman, 17 June 2026 Donaldson’s wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, has denied several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending. — ABC News, 11 June 2026 On Friday, May 29, Kenneth Law, 60, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding and abetting suicide in Canada, the Crown Prosecution Service said in a news release. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026 Thomas Peters, who had been Feuer’s chief of civil litigation, entered a guilty plea in 2022 to aiding and abetting extortion in an attempt to cover up what the city attorney’s office had done. — The Editorial Board, Daily News, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abetting
  1. provoking
  2. aiding
  3. promoting
  4. assisting
  5. encouraging
  6. helping
  7. raising
  8. inciting
Verb
  • The same principle applies to debates about religion, economics and virtually any subject capable of provoking strong emotions.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
  • From this format emerges the tacit thesis that the Bicentennial cultural activities excelled at provoking critical, imaginative reflections on America’s past and future from artmakers and from ordinary citizens alike.
    — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • Along with Williams, at least 14 other people, many of them friends and family of the escapees, were arrested and accused of aiding in the escape, including by providing food, cash, transport and shelter.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The historical research aiding the film is conducted in collaboration with Caróu Oliveira, a Black historian dedicated to the study of slavery and the daily lives of Black women in the 19th century.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of aiding
Verb
  • This annual tradition provides live performances and holiday cheer while promoting donations to community food pantries.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Swank announced her first pregnancy on Good Morning America in October 2022, while promoting her ABC crime series, Alaska Daily.
    — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of promoting
Verb
  • Video posted to Facebook by the sheriff's office in Alabama shows police assisting an SUV driver on a road in Dale County during the storm.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • By transporting supplies, supporting reconnaissance activities, and assisting with casualty evacuation, unmanned ground vehicles can potentially reduce soldiers’ physical workload while extending their operational reach.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of assisting
Verb
  • Bealls is launching its first national ad campaign, encouraging shoppers to rediscover the idea of a treasure hunt for the holiday season.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • While Antetokounmpo is still trying to get used to the Heat’s up-tempo style, the offensive results have already been encouraging this preseason.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of encouraging
Verb
  • Officials were helping more than 50 people in temporary shelters, del Pilar said.
    — JAIMIE DING, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • El Niño and warming ocean waters are helping fuel the activity, while an exceptionally strong El Niño could bring more coastal erosion, flooding and damage this winter — especially during high tides.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of helping
Verb
  • Those officers were not wearing body cameras, raising questions about why the agency still hadn't gotten the cameras out to officers in the field.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Similar federal lists in other states have proved highly inaccurate, raising concerns that eligible voters could be disenfranchised.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • And then all of a sudden this inciting event happens, and they’re thrown, unprepared, into this world.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Critics have accused his party, La France Insoumise, (LFI), of seeking to use the unrest to score points in the presidential campaign and of inciting violence.
    — Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of inciting

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Cite this Entry

“Abetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abetting. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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