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as in to live
to have a home the charming fantasy that fairies abide in the cup-shaped flowers dotting the woodland floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb abide differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of abide are bear, endure, stand, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When is bear a more appropriate choice than abide?

The words bear and abide are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

When could endure be used to replace abide?

While in some cases nearly identical to abide, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

In what contexts can stand take the place of abide?

The meanings of stand and abide largely overlap; however, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When might suffer be a better fit than abide?

The synonyms suffer and abide are sometimes interchangeable, but suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When can tolerate be used instead of abide?

The words tolerate and abide can be used in similar contexts, but tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

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 abide The union certification process varies across the unions but generally requires an extensive background check, sometimes an exam, and the agreement to abide by the union’s agent regulations. Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025 Trump has threatened to revoke tax-exempt status for groups that don't abide by his directives or agree with his views. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 Kagan’s line of questioning comes as New York recently closed multiple yeshivas that were not abiding by a state law requiring all schools — private and public — to adequately teach basic secular subjects. Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2025 Still, several states, including California and Maine, are not abiding by the executive order. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for abide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abide
Verb
  • Women have become relatively better represented in science, but people of color remain glaringly less so.
    Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
  • The Milky Way galaxy will remain visible throughout the summer and even into early fall, but planning your skywatching around the darker moon phases as far from artificial light as possible is key.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Although President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign said his administration would focus primarily on violent criminals living illegally in the United States, ICE agents have also been targeting foreign college students and other people who lack any history of violent crime.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Those on both sides of the border have long been living under the threat of shelling and strikes.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Use the hottest water setting the fabric can tolerate.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025
  • Hospitals and physician organizations need to stop tolerating second-class treatment.
    Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • According to a fundraiser created by her sister, Dallas Jimenez, her family continues to seek answers in her disappearance and death.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Grateful Dead will continue their anniversary celebrations with a massive box set that’s out on May 30.
    Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Americans are living longer, staying healthier, and working in less physically demanding jobs.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • For SMEs working toward being nature positive, success depends on having a clear purpose, setting measurable goals, and staying flexible as strategies evolve.
    Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • Before the 1987 season, in an effort to generate more offense, a new rule moved pitchers back an additional three feet, to the 43 feet the circle’s center currently resides.
    Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • Latifah currently resides between Virginia, Chicago, and Kuwait.
    Latifah Al-Hazza, AFAR Media, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • In wealth strategy, too, enduring principles such as stewardship, discipline, intergenerational perspective, often outlast fast-moving trends.
    Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • There has been action enough in the Grand Tour’s first week to fill three, with general classification (GC) expectations shattered, enduring class on display, and even a surprise new wearer of the pink jersey.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • The trial is expected to last several weeks, and Judge Arun Subramanian recently confirmed that the trial will most likely conclude before July 4.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 25 May 2025
  • It was scheduled to last a week, but the state hastily shut it down after two days when nearly 300 bears were killed, close to the maximum allowed.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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