abstaining

present participle of abstain

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstaining
Verb
  • And of course there will always be readers who balk at SF, refusing to countenance that our lived reality is saturated with it, and that the time for earnestly realistic state-of-the-nation novels may have passed.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • But Campbell has a point; legally, those trying to ban the Red Raiders from the playoff, or refusing, en masse, to schedule them, could be subject to accusations of collusion.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • In social services, the Legislature is rejecting a cut by the governor to popular in-home supportive service care funding for Californians with disabilities — including older adults and children.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
  • Cornyn then doubled down, rejecting the premise that procedural effort can substitute for votes and escalating his criticism of Republican messaging.
    Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • Maybe the best thing to happen to the Phillies was Alex Cora turning down president Dave Dombrowski’s offer to replace Thomson.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
  • Recently, after years of turning down offers to expand the brand, Chiva-Som recently opened its first outpost, Zulal Wellness Retreat in Qatar, focussing on family health.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • The book does often feel like a recording of a mental jam session, but there is also a sense of being guided by a kind of hesitating yet urgent voice that needs to get things figured out.
    Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
  • While their rivals started spending significant sums of money as soon as the 2024-25 season finished, Spurs wasted a couple of weeks hesitating about the long-term future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou before replacing him with Thomas Frank.
    David Ornstein, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • If there are no seats, there’ll be no place to put sick passengers and the train will have to stay in the station, delaying the system.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
  • From stunting and weakening plant growth to delaying flower production, these 1/10th-inch-long pests can wreak havoc.
    Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • Underlying the debate is an intense competition for public school students, which has become an existential threat in an era of sharply declining enrollment, especially given the reality that school districts are funded based on enrollment.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
  • More than a moral issue, the case risks a reputational crisis that could lead to declining sales, stock volatility, leadership instability and long-term damage to shareholder value, the organizations wrote.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 11 June 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Abstaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstaining. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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