abstains

Definition of abstainsnext
present tense third-person singular of abstain

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstains
Verb
  • The film exists because the dead deserve to be witnessed and because the families inside Iran, who cannot speak, deserve someone outside who refuses to forget.
    Anna Tingley, Variety, 2 June 2026
  • Walt asks Jesse to kill him, but Jesse refuses and tells him to do it himself.
    Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • By the time a debt collector calls or a lender rejects your loan, an identity thief may have been using your information for months.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
  • Pamela, a servant, rejects the advances of her wealthy employer and thereby induces him to marry her.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • If a local school board turns down a charter, the organizers can appeal to the OC Board, which covers the whole county.
    John Seiler, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
  • May 14, 2014 Steve Kerr is hired Kerr turns down an offer from the New York Knicks to work with Phil Jackson, his former coach with the Chicago Bulls, to sign a five-year, $25 million contract to coach the Warriors.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 10 May 2026
Verb
  • The mother in Frederick County still hesitates.
    Natasha Dartigue, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2026
  • His grandson, Jack Schlossberg, who is running for Congress, never hesitates to remind audiences of his lineage.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
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.

Cite this Entry

“Abstains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstains. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

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