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

But like in May, Ukraine’s European allies are refusing to heed the Kremlin’s call to abandon the city.

— Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
April 20 – May 20 Your body may tell you what your schedule has been refusing to admit.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

Kim Yo Jong issued a statement Friday rejecting Seoul’s demand for an apology.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
David Peck, Pourharton’s attorney, told the Town Plan and Zoning Commission that his client’s business has created no reason for rejecting the request, noting that GG hasn’t been the scene of arrests or police activity.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 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

And more people are entering the system than leaving it, delaying help for newly homeless families.

— Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2026
Though profits and revenue growth have generally been strong this year, the IPO market has stalled, with Oura and Bamboo Insurance delaying their offerings last month.

— Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

Only its convenient foods division in Europe, the Middle East and Africa reported declining volume, of 1%.

— Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Since the 1960s, bowling as a business has fallen, with the number of bowling centers in the United States declining by roughly 75% from a peak of about 12,000 to some 3,000.

— Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of declining

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“Abstaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstaining. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abstaining

verb

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