abstaining

Definition of abstainingnext
present participle of abstain
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstaining
Verb
  • Strickland then mocked Chimaev for refusing to fight in the parking lot.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
  • Baldoni later accused a trio of other insurers of breach of contract for refusing to cover litigation costs.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • Washington and some other states, however, started rejecting licensure applicants or revoking nurses with diplomas from those schools even before the investigation was made public.
    Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
  • Some families are also rejecting the eye ointment.
    Duaa Eldeib, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • In hindsight, Julius Randle turning down a potential drive to the rim and instead lobbing a grenade to Rudy Gobert near the end of the shot clock was a harbinger of the rest of his night.
    Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
  • Stanley Tucci is opening up about turning down opportunities to take part in food competition shows.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • Right now, Taylor said, both sides are hesitating.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 8 May 2026
  • Walgreens isn’t hesitating to close stores in parts of Chicago where theft is frequent and there are legitimate concerns about the safety of employees and customers.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • San Diego is delaying most impacts of a new state law that requires cities to allow high-rise housing near trolley stations and major bus stops — but questions persist about how many bus stops the new law will affect.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
  • Yamaha’s plant shut down due to Covid-19, delaying TCW’s ability to retrieve and return the equipment in the allotted time, but Evergreen still charged the fees.
    Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.
    Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
  • Poverty, lack of transportation to school and mental health struggles contribute to absenteeism and declining enrollment across San Diego County.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 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 14 May. 2026.

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