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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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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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
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 Additionally, this decision meant Microsoft could not be held liable for allegedly aiding and abetting OpenAI. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 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
  • Guendouzi, who played for Lyon’s rivals Marseille between 2022 and 2024, was seen provoking the Lyon fans at full time with a series of exuberant celebrations.
    — Ali Rampling, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This year's Ig Nobel Prizes — which are awarded for humorous, yet thought-provoking research — have been announced, but not on their home turf.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • Time to Own, on the other hand, has targeted the housing crisis from the opposite direction by aiding prospective buyers who can meet monthly payments but can’t swing all of the upfront costs as well.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In July 2025, Wolfson found Barahona competent, ruling that Barahona was capable of aiding his attorneys and understands the severity of the penalties should he be found guilty.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of aiding
Verb
  • While promoting his new show Brothers, McConaughey managed to carve out some spon-con time for his tequila, Pantalones.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Big firms such as Latham & Watkins, Perkins Coie and WilmerHale are promoting their white-glove services to data center clients on their websites.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of promoting
Verb
  • Under Beijing’s tightening grip, lawyers assisting those whom authorities viewed as dissidents also have faced pressure.
    — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Thank you to the first responders who are assisting at the scene.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of assisting
Verb
  • Several featured in a short film aimed at encouraging people to have the confidence to start a conversation about suicide.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • At its height, the group controlled vast territory and millions of people in Iraq and Syria while encouraging or directing attacks far beyond its borders.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of encouraging
Verb
  • That might include Medicare or other healthcare premiums, long-term care costs, home maintenance and accessibility modifications, or financially helping adult children or grandchildren.
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Those beds of lightweight, crushable material at the end of a runway have been credited by the FAA with helping save at least 497 lives aboard planes that overran runways.
    — David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of helping
Verb
  • Warner had the most eyebrow-raising quote of the 49ers’ postgame press conferences ahead of their 16-hour flight home, while many of his teammates sidestepped questions about the disparate approaches the teams had before the game.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • According to British media, Dimon warned the pair on Wednesday against raising the tax burden on banks in next month's budget.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • Just last month, two key organizers behind what used to be the only large-scale public commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre on Chinese soil were found guilty of inciting subversion.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The inciting incident behind the murder of one of the greatest rappers of all time very well might have been triggered by an ostensibly insignificant brawl at a mall Foot Locker.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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