abstained

Definition of abstainednext
past tense of abstain
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstained
Verb
  • California officials have flatly refused.
    James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
  • Since 2008, Medicare has refused to reimburse hospitals for the additional cost of treating many infections that develop after admission.
    Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • The comments came two weeks after the House rejected DeSantis’ push to pass bills to expand vaccine exemptions for children entering public schools and to install consumer-friendly regulations on artificial intelligence products and companies.
    Gray Rohrer, Sun Sentinel, 15 May 2026
  • Bianco launched a voter‑fraud investigation after a local group claimed the county counted roughly 46,000 more ballots than were received, a claim election officials rejected.
    James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Fletcher also said he was disappointed in the FA for where the game took place after City hosted the final at their academy ground — Joie Stadium — instead of the first team’s Etihad stadium and turned down an offer from United to host it at Old Trafford.
    Chris McKenna, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • The opportunity to interview these people would never have been turned down by other organizations, but there was also a sense that these dictators and terrorists and authoritarians were realizing that CNN were giving them this unfiltered platform to speak to the American people.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • But they are mentioned without context, in a way that underlines the Smithsonian’s touchy relationship with an administration that has not hesitated to strong-arm the institution.
    Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
  • Times when studios hesitated about festivals?
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • Assad lied and temporized, the official said.
    Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abstained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstained. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on abstained

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster