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
  • He's refused to sign the bipartisan legislation until Congress passes a voting restrictions bill called the SAVE America Act.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • But both Mamdani and his police commissioner have repeatedly refused to discuss the nature of the event — angering some nearby business owners and raising questions about the use of public resources to cover private security.
    — Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • In June, a federal judge ordered Baldoni and his production company to pay Lively’s attorney fees related to his unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against her, but rejected her bid for additional damages.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • More than any other aspect, the hydration breaks have demonstrated that simply creating more commercial opportunities does not necessarily create better marketing as fan discussion has overwhelmingly rejected the match breaks.
    — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of rejected
Verb
  • Murillo, and another judge who previously heard the case, turned down all of the consumer group’s arguments in separate rulings, the last of which Murillo issued Tuesday night.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The Athletic reported in June an offer around £20million had been rejected, but this new proposal will also be turned down.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of turned down
Verb
  • In the second half, Freese stepped off his line to control a ball, hesitated, stubbed his foot against the ground, and lost the ball.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
  • New York has never hesitated to invest in preserving the moments that define us.
    — Tunisia Morrison, New York Daily News, 5 July 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 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on abstained

Nglish: Translation of abstained for Spanish Speakers

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