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

Wars cannot be fought on ideology alone – a truism that perhaps led to the firebrand former defense minister’s departure, after months of clashes and refusing to deal with the army top brass, as Zelensky describes it.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Larkin, whose grassroots campaign made national headlines in recent weeks, often criticized Moskowitz for refusing to debate him or participate in joint interviews with local news organizations.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

The issue has split circuit courts, with the 9th Circuit (which Idaho is part of) and six other circuit courts rejecting the administration’s position.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026
These critiques assume that people rejecting vaccines have access to good information about them, but that’s not always the case, Marnik said.

— Felice J. Freyer, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of rejecting

Verb

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
After all, the billionaire founder lived a whirlwind of a career, turning down lucrative job offers and weathering professional rejection before ultimately launching one of the world’s biggest biotech companies.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of turning down

Verb

Cueto was known for hesitating while in his pitching motion, or wiggling on the mound.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
So electric power companies and regulators are cautious, hesitating to construct plants unless future demand is guaranteed.

— Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of hesitating

Verb

The Swift Observatory has been observing the cosmos for more than two-decades, but its rapidly declining orbit has put it in jeopardy of reentering Earth's atmosphere and burning up.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
In addition, authorities criticized John and Patsy for declining formal police interviews for several months.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of declining

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

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Synonyms of abstaining

verb

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