abstains

verb

present tense third-person singular of abstain
as in refuses

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstains
  1. refuses
  2. rejects
  3. turns down
  4. hesitates
Verb
  • Someone refuses to back you up as the moon and Mercury clash.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
  • It's built by what leadership consistently rewards, tolerates and refuses to compromise on.
    — Brandon Shannon, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of refuses
Verb
  • The agent proposes; the human reviews, edits, approves, or rejects; and the system brings reasoning and evidence with the recommendation.
    — William Jones, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Hamas also said that laying down its heavy weapons, which would come later in the process, was contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel’s current government adamantly rejects.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of rejects
Verb
  • The candidate who turns down your offer doesn’t necessarily go on to repeat what was heard.
    — Jon Michail, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Pairing a floral sundress with a pair of white sneakers turns down the volume on the feminine formality, making the classic piece a bit less fussy.
    — Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 18 June 2026
Definition of turns down
Verb
  • If someone hesitates, gently restate the goal and offer one reasonable option while staying loyal to your own needs.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026
  • In Spearfish, Yu hesitates over a set of cow grates and dumps her bike at low velocity.
    — Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026
Definition of hesitates
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.

Browse Nearby Words

abstaining (from)
abstains
abstains (from)
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Cite this Entry

“Abstains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstains. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on abstains

Nglish: Translation of abstains for Spanish Speakers

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