abstained

verb

past tense of abstain
as in refused

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstained
  1. refused
  2. rejected
  3. turned down
  4. hesitated
  5. temporized
Verb
  • Immigration officials have defended the shooting, saying Belgal refused to exit the vehicle and the agent didn't know there was a child in the backseat.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Allegedly, King Charles has urged Harry and William to make amends, but William has refused.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • Days before the execution attempt, Lee rejected the clemency request.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Attacks on ships transiting the strait have increased since Iran's proposal was rejected.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejected
Verb
  • Eisenberg turned down the role, despite, as Sorkin told Vanity Fair back in June, his having spent a three-day weekend trying to persuade Eisenberg into it.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Even at the lower figure, that’s about double the $2 million his mom turned down.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of turned down
Verb
  • While its lawyers have not hesitated to send cease-and-desist letters to AI companies, Disney is among the big media companies looking for ways to get in the AI game and profit from its boom.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Teammates excitedly jumped off the bench, then hesitated when Thiero’s right knee appeared to buckle awkwardly under him.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of hesitated
Verb
  • Assad lied and temporized, the official said.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of temporized
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

abstain
abstained
abstained (from)
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Cite this Entry

“Abstained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstained. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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