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

The discipline is refusing to play the obvious one, which is accepting the first answer.

— Terry Oroszi, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
This season,, Sanders is and refusing to look ahead when asked about the team’s first two Big 12 games against Baylor and the league’s defending champions, Texas Tech.

— Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

As with any tax relief company, there are complaints about the IRS rejecting a settlement or the company not getting enough relief.

— Nick Perry, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Florida leads the nation with 375 active 287(g) agreements, and Attorney General James Uthmeier has previously threatened officials in Fort Myers and Key West with removal from office for rejecting such deals.

— Jessica Lipscomb, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026

Definition of rejecting

Verb

Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys said the city has spent four years turning down redevelopment offers for Palmetto Research Park in an effort to hold the property for higher-wage employers.

— John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026
Value your time by turning down unpaid tasks.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026

Definition of turning down

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

Definition of hesitating

Verb

While delaying benefits is typically optimal, a hypothetical 22% cut by 2033 significantly shifts optimal claiming ages for many single individuals, potentially encouraging earlier filing, but often not for married couples.

— Steve Vernon, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Some workers were granted exemptions, and a handful of departments were delaying implementation of the governor’s mandate.

— Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

After years of declining sales, American Girl dolls are seeing a resurgence.

— Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 3 July 2026
The state also has goals, including some that have been in place since 2012, that set declining limits on smog-causing pollutants and required automakers to sell increasing percentages of electric and hybrid vehicles through 2025.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Definition of declining

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“Abstaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstaining. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of abstaining

verb

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