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abstaining

verb

present participle of abstain
as in refusing

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstaining
  1. refusing
  2. rejecting
  3. turning down
  4. hesitating
  5. delaying
  6. declining
Verb
  • Kansas City finally slowed the Colts’ offense by refusing to give them the ball.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Major carriers from large swaths of the state are now refusing to insure even low-risk properties with minimal danger of burning.
    — Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of refusing
Verb
  • The trend is less about rejecting smartphones and more about choosing which parts of them to keep.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The trend is less about rejecting technology than deciding how much attention a phone deserves.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of rejecting
Verb
  • Closing the curtains tightly before bed and turning down the thermostat also help.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Tucker entered last offseason as the consensus top free agent after turning down a qualifying offer from the Chicago Cubs.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of turning down
Verb
  • But experts have worried that doctors are hesitating to offer treatment without an ironclad diagnosis, which clinicians say can take time and increase risks to the mother.
    — Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Fertilizer is often bought months ahead of planting, so hesitating in the fall can mean less goes on the ground in the spring.
    — Jayash Paudel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hesitating
Verb
  • Kim Anding, the Lighthouse’s former controller, told the Star-Telegram that delaying roof repairs amounted to negligence.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Thirty percent also reported delaying or forgoing medical care.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of delaying
Verb
  • For some business owners, the impact extends beyond declining sales.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan surpassed a record 100,000 this year, the latest government figures show, underscoring the country's rapidly aging and declining population.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of declining
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 (from)
abstaining
abstaining (from)
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Cite this Entry

“Abstaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstaining. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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