abstract 1 of 3

abstract

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noun

abstract

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verb

1
as in to distract
to draw the attention or mind to something else personal problems abstracted him so persistently that he struggled to keep his mind on his work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of abstract
Adjective
During an abstract presentation at the meeting, researchers presented a literature review that examined whether hormone therapy impacted whether women experienced anxiety. Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Oct. 2025 This project wasn’t just a good idea in some abstract way. Jimmy Wales, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
The study’s abstract, which was presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2025 Annual Meeting, is available on the society’s website. New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2025 Consistent messaging, for press releases, webinar abstracts, email campaigns and analyst briefings, makes life so much easier when building category leadership and brand credibility. Guy Murrel, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
For a digital computer, time is thin, unidimensional, and abstracted away from its thermodynamic arrow. Anil Seth, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025 Some network models already demonstrate how software can abstract away the complexity of managing resources across multiple providers and locations. Baris Saydag, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abstract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstract
Adjective
  • White Out is like something from the high-modernist era of Joyce and Woolf—dark, fragmented, impressionistic, saturated with irony and black humor.
    Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Those scenes serve to blend the past and present in a way that suits the film’s impressionistic style.
    Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Chegg also sued Google in February, arguing that AI summaries of search results have hurt its traffic and sales.
    Annie Palmer, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The summaries below were drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division.
    Real-Time News team, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This cul-de-sac at the end of civilization feels like a physical manifestation of the loneliness Carol radiates even before the cataclysmic incident.
    Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Given the disease’s wide range of trajectories and manifestations—from mild and manageable to severely disabling—some now regard it as a group of diseases, rather than a single one.
    Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Consider having some extra treats on hand to distract your dog and encourage them to be brave puppies.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Once written, the script’s fantastic promise distracted its readers from the fatal holes in its plot.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The resulting feature was published on March 14, 2022, publicly summarizing the case for the first time in years and providing Army CID contact information.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • During a July City Commission meeting, Commissioner Richard Lara, who received at least one of the surveys but did not respond to it, summarized the allegations detailed in the blog posts.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But You fans invested in a theoretical off-screen romance.
    Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The risk for both Milei and Washington is not theoretical.
    Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The entire collection was inspired by the post-impressionist painter, featuring bursts of color and delicate construction throughout, curated by Rodarte founders Kate and Laura Mulleavy.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
  • The nebula's haunting outline t is carved from swirling clouds of gas and dust inside a vast stellar nursery.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
  • His process involved mapping the sun’s path, calculating angles, sketching outlines, and planning how light would travel across the surface, before burning the image onto a piece of untreated wood.
    TIME PR, Time, 30 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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