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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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
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Recent Examples of abetting
Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Special prosecutors indict Kim Keon Hee and former Prime Minister Han on charges of abetting Yoon’s imposition of martial law, falsifying and destroying official documents and lying under oath.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
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
Verb
Although they were explicitly programmed to refuse to help hackers, the bots were duped into abetting the cybercrime.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Special prosecutors indict Kim Keon Hee and former Prime Minister Han on charges of abetting Yoon’s imposition of martial law, falsifying and destroying official documents and lying under oath.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abetting
Verb
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Those forces may give the president more leverage in his negotiations, but also risk fueling Tehran's resentment and provoking a harsher response, analysts say.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
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Women and girls are asked to imagine themselves as a river, provoking powerful reflection on the culture of gender in post-Soviet Asia.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Naboso was developed by a podiatrist and uses texture on all products to stimulate the feet, improving overall foot awareness, foot strength and aiding in recovery.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Metaphorical thinking enhances learning by linking new concepts to familiar patterns, fostering creative problem-solving among non-experts, and aiding memory retention through vivid imagery, while expanding one's metaphor store through diverse topics can boost creativity in specialized fields.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Several of her Instagram posts also included hashtags promoting Swift’s album.—
Joe Kottke,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
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Chestnut said in an Instagram story, promoting a clip from the Sunday, March 29, episode, in which Watson is reunited with Sherlock.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Police were already on the scene assisting with evacuations.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
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The City of White Settlement said approximately 150 residents are displaced, and the Red Cross is assisting.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Felder suggested that the Beth El rabbis send out a congregation-wide e-mail offering guidance on how to respond to the humanitarian crisis—say, by directing members to relief groups or by encouraging members to contact their representatives in Congress to exert pressure on Israel.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Your 4th House of Protection hosts contentment-seeking Venus, encouraging you to take comfort in your private world.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While none of this amounts to conscious communication, the hidden network allows plants to share resources and information, helping forests survive as interconnected communities.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
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Vastnaut One assists these climbs by distributing force through both the hips and knees, helping propel the body upward more efficiently.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Unseasonably warm temperatures continue to take a toll on Colorado's snowpack, raising concerns about dangerous avalanche conditions across the high country.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Past grand juries have issued reports raising awareness of shady land deals, questionable legislative appropriations and officials slow-walking public records requests.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The army also accused him of maintaining contact with Hezbollah militants and inciting against Israeli troops and civilians, without elaborating.—
Bassem Mroue,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
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Liam Timothy Walsh, 20, of Somerville, Massachusetts was extradited to Connecticut on Tuesday and charged with inciting injury to persons or property, first-degree criminal mischief, unlawful assembly, second-degree breach of peace and first-degree criminal mischief, according to Capt.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abetting. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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