1
as in to relinquish
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
abnegated all claims to the deceased lord's domain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to renounce
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
felt that if the Congress adopted these security measures, it would be abnegating the nation's fundamental commitment to individual rights
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abnegate
Her sins are the sins of loving too much and in too self-abnegating a fashion.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2023
Abnegating this responsibility is going against the will of the people and we were voted in to protect the interests of the people.
—Jan Engoren, Sun-Sentinel.com, 6 July 2017
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2023
Abnegating this responsibility is going against the will of the people and we were voted in to protect the interests of the people.
—Jan Engoren, Sun-Sentinel.com, 6 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abnegate
Verb
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Though Judge and Simon were legally granted equal custody of their three children upon their split, Judge relinquished custody of Sidney to Simon after their daughter opted to live with him full time.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
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According to the Associated Press, US Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell released Ortiz on a $500,000 bond, mandated that the 26-year-old relinquish his passport, and restricted his travel to the local area, among other stipulations.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But Mayor Mamdani’s election shows that New Yorkers—like Londoners—know that the answer is not to renounce the values which define us.—
Sadiq Khan,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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What divides him from Burton is that Hopkins, by a miracle, summoned the clarity to renounce his own destruction.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And if that’s true, what would prohibit Congress from just abdicating all responsibility to regulate foreign commerce, for that matter, declare war, to the president.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
While initially very popular among his people, by 2013, multiple scandals — including romantic affairs, financial misappropriation and an infamous elephant hunting trip to Africa — led the King to abdicate and pass the throne to his youngest child and only son, King Felipe.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The peace declaration included a commitment to withdraw heavy weapons from the border, de-mining efforts, and to de-escalate tensions that erupted into the brief but deadly border conflict.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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In addition, he was allegedly caught on camera by bank security withdrawing approximately $50,000 in cash from a bank on June 27, 2025.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The International Energy Agency turned out to be less resigned to the things that exist and capped this class of emissions at 5 per cent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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Three other special elections were held to fill vacancies left by lawmakers resigning before their terms ended, with two of those advancing to runoffs as no candidate received more than 50 percent.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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De Blasio responded with shock, demanding The Times retract the story.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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The Democrat has since faced calls from Republicans to drop out of the state attorney general race, though many Democrats and his corporate donors have not retracted their support.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite vocal support from Aspire Capitol Heights families and a concerted effort from school leaders to prove that the school’s fiscal and academic issues could be solved, the board voted 4-1 to deny the school’s charter renewal.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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My mother has been denied access to medical care, the right to speak, and every basic human freedom.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abnegate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abnegate. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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