as in to refuse
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Recent Examples of abstain
Commissioner Alicia Reece abstained from the June 26 vote and voted against a $16 million appropriation for the first phase of renovations for the stadium, as well as two contracts for steel and concrete materials.
—
Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 31 July 2025
Arab monarchies have abstained from UN votes criticizing Russia for the invasion and have not joined the international sanctions coalition.
—Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 25 July 2025
Thirteen MPs voted against, 13 abstained and 35 did not vote.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 23 July 2025
Only 175 members of parliament backed the motion, while 360 voted against and 18 abstained.
—CNN Money, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstain
Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 31 July 2025
Arab monarchies have abstained from UN votes criticizing Russia for the invasion and have not joined the international sanctions coalition.
—Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 25 July 2025
Thirteen MPs voted against, 13 abstained and 35 did not vote.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 23 July 2025
Only 175 members of parliament backed the motion, while 360 voted against and 18 abstained.
—CNN Money, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstain
Verb
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While many rideshare companies refuse to pay affiliate commissions, Obi has built a parallel revenue stream via a data business selling anonymized, aggregated insights.—
Sindhya Valloppillil,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Agencies refused to release Neal’s autopsy and the Florida Highway Patrol’s report of the crash, and the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office had declined to comment on whether further charges are pending.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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After twice rejecting Trump, Nevadans ousted a Democratic governor in 2022 and helped Trump back to the White House in 2024.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Hall has rejected Puri's recommendation to reinstate Farhat as the Democratic appropriations chair, made in a letter that blasted the speaker's approach to budget negotiations.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Higgins, 44, turned down the prosecution’s offer of 35 years in prison in January.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Jerry Reinsdorf turned down an opportunity for an inaugural WNBA franchise in 1996.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Utilize available accessibility services and don't hesitate to request assistance when needed.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
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This can have consequences: Children who hesitate to ask or answer questions risk becoming adults with the same habits.—
Shelbie Witte,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Romney's Cass took Obama to task for opposing development of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and for temporizing on the Keystone pipeline, while Obama's Aldy accused Romney of being insensitive to the environment and to the needs and desires of future generations.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Oct. 2012
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Accompanying these principles must be a rejection of the impulse to temporize about the dangers that confront us and a rejection of the bizarre deprecation of our nation and civilization.—
Peter J. Travers,
National Review,
29 Mar. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Abstain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstain. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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