ABSTAINING Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

abstaining

verb

present participle of abstain

as in refusing

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstaining

Verb

Even to the point of being fined and sanctioned by the European Union courts for refusing to open their gates to unchecked immigration, in Hungary’s case under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, while Poland faced sanctions in 2025.

— Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Carolyn Marvin was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after blocking the path of an Uber delivery robot and refusing to get out of the way.

— Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

Alvarez said that rejecting Amendment 2 means rejecting the small farmer who can’t keep cows in the field.

— Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Stewart was an executive producer of his friend Colbert’s show and harshly criticized the cancellation, rejecting Paramount’s financial justification and accusing the company of bending the knee to the president.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of rejecting

Verb

John only found peace by giving up the ring, turning down the gig, and forging his own path.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
The woman accused of keeping him captive, 58-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, is expected to head to trial after turning down two plea deals during a hearing in Waterbury Superior Court earlier this month.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 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

The daughter, Shannon Amos, faults her brother, Kelly Christopher Amos, for delaying medical care while isolating the actor from his family and friends in the years leading up to his death.

— Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
More and more parents are delaying vaccines and citing logistics, outsourcing the decision to the parent who isn’t in the room or simply wanting more time.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

Women naturally store less creatine than men, and during perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen can take a toll on both muscle health and mental clarity.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 15 Oct. 2026
The result has been sturdy economic growth, even as lower-income and even middle-income households have continued to struggle under stubborn inflation and declining earnings.

— Rob Wile, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of declining

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“Abstaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstaining. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abstaining

verb

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