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
  • The White House is likely to play hardball if confronted with investigations, and Democrats are bracing for an administration that potentially ignores subpoenas or refuses to turn over paperwork that lawmakers are demanding.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Throughout the film, Agent Miller refuses to abandon the investigation, even after being discouraged from following the case by her superiors who felt as though there wasn’t enough evidence pointing to Kaczynski.
    — Jane LaCroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of refuses
Verb
  • Salvage what creates value, discard what evidence rejects and rebuild around the problem that remains.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Slemmer’s mother, May Slemmer Martinez, supports Pike’s execution and rejects the suggestion that Pike’s age or traumatic upbringing should spare her.
    — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 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 an employee hesitates or overcommits, avoid making assumptions or asking defensive questions.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Your vehicle hesitates when shifting gears A short pause or delay between pressing the gas and your car responding is an early sign of transmission trouble.
    — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 17 Aug. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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