1
as in to repeal
to put an end to by formal action
the U.S. abolished slavery by constitutional amendment on December 6, 1865
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
if only there were a way that we could abolish hatred and intolerance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 abolish
Mejía, who is more progressive than Sherrill, campaigned on policies including abolishing ICE and raising taxes on the wealthy.
—
Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
Shall Section 1 of Chapter VIII of the Fort Worth City Charter be amended to allow greater flexibility in creating, abolishing, and reorganizing city departments by eliminating the requirement for ordinances to be adopted?
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
Defunding police is as dumb as abolishing ICE.
—Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Hangings were frequent in colonial times, but by the mid-1800s some states had abolished the death penalty altogether.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abolish
Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
Shall Section 1 of Chapter VIII of the Fort Worth City Charter be amended to allow greater flexibility in creating, abolishing, and reorganizing city departments by eliminating the requirement for ordinances to be adopted?
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
Defunding police is as dumb as abolishing ICE.
—Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Hangings were frequent in colonial times, but by the mid-1800s some states had abolished the death penalty altogether.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abolish
Verb
-
In Springfield, the GOP nominee for governor, Darren Bailey, reiterated his call to reform or repeal the SAFE-T Act, a stance he’s held since his last run for governor in 2022.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The fee was suspended in 2017 and was set to be repealed entirely in 2031 as part of a legislative deal to extend the cap-and-trade program, which collects money by auctioning permits to emit greenhouse gases.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Long-term Management Strategies The best way to completely eradicate ground ivy from your lawn and garden is through constant monitoring and removal methods.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
An invasive worm species is causing problems in the state, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture is asking residents to help eradicate it.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Travelers across South Jersey were scrambling after the sudden shutdown of Spirit Airlines, a major carrier at Atlantic City International Airport, leaving flights canceled and raising concerns about the region's tourism economy.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
The airline said on its website that all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Sad memories of last year — when Wooten lost a tiebreaker in her state championship singles match to hand Palmetto the title — are all but erased.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Nile Rodgers songs have a way of erasing distinctions between the two.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The measure, if approved for the ballot and passed by voters, would overturn the congressional map Missouri Republicans passed to oust Kansas City’s long-term Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
-
The Republican president views the investments as critical for economic security and emblematic of his own dealmaking skills, overturning what had been GOP dogma that government should avoid picking winners and losers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The Trinity fire, which started May 1 in Phelan, burned 19 acres with no structures damaged, though the blaze destroyed an unknown number of Joshua trees.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces destroyed several military and other targets, while also inflicting significant damage on oil port infrastructure.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abolish. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
