as in to refuse
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Recent Examples of abstain
Voters in primary elections may nominate extremists to run in the general election, leaving independents no choice but to vote for the lesser of two evils or to abstain from voting for either.
—
Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Hechtman, who quit drinking in 2021 after participating in Dry January, a challenge to abstain from alcohol for 31 days, said her social life has flourished since then.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Organizers called for a general strike on Friday, as well, urging Minnesotans to abstain from school, work and shopping to demonstrate against the federal presence in the state.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026
The daylong economic blackout was organized by local faith, labor and community groups, who called on residents to abstain from work, school and shopping.
—Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abstain
Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Hechtman, who quit drinking in 2021 after participating in Dry January, a challenge to abstain from alcohol for 31 days, said her social life has flourished since then.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Organizers called for a general strike on Friday, as well, urging Minnesotans to abstain from school, work and shopping to demonstrate against the federal presence in the state.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026
The daylong economic blackout was organized by local faith, labor and community groups, who called on residents to abstain from work, school and shopping.
—Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abstain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstain
Verb
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My comment addressed agitators approaching law enforcement with a gun and refusing to disarm.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Judge Marrus, however, refused to back down.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Supervisors Shanti Landon, Anthony DeMattei and Suzanne Jones made up the three votes rejecting the loan.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Kaiser flatly rejects the notion that the strike is about anything other than reimbursement.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Farmers Insurance Open begins Thursday morning at Torrey Pines, which means, at least for a few hours, the volume will be turned down on talk of the tournament’s future.—
Jay Posner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
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Even on his birthday, Andrew Reyna couldn’t turn down an order from the Mexican Mafia.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In normal times, leaders might hesitate to impose that kind of moral weight on employees already living through the hardships of a global crisis.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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Older workers face forced plateaus as organizations hesitate to invest in workers over 50, assuming their time is limited, minds are dulling, and retirement is imminent.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Even groups long noted for opposing nuclear power, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Sierra Club, seem quietly ready to temporize on practical matters, such as allowing existing plants to continue as transitional energy sources.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harper’s Magazine ,
4 Jan. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Abstain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstain. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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