abstract 1 of 3

abstract

2 of 3

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
Plus, figuring out how objects on the programming grid translate into the actual game can be a bit abstract. PC Magazine, 16 Aug. 2025 The Oasis glasses feature a soft, square frame with abstract terrain and leopard prints. Nora Colomer May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
That study has enrolled only nine patients, however, and the results so far show that just one patient’s tumor actually shrank, according to a recent scientific abstract. Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 17 June 2025 Weight loss ranged from 2.6% to 11.3%, according to the abstract. Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 14 June 2025
Verb
Underlying monthly job growth, abstracting from the vagaries of the data, is less than 100k. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 3 July 2025 After apartheid was established in 1948, many artists in South Africa contended with its corresponding oppression and bodily violence by presenting the human figure in animal form or abstracting it. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for abstract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstract
Adjective
  • Frenetic, handheld scenes of Jordan’s friends guzzling handles of Tito’s at house parties give way to impressionistic passages of those same friends walking through a local nature preserve or pumping gas in the small hours before daylight.
    Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Regaining Unconsciousness, her first collection in a dozen years, feels like an archival boxset, with over a hundred poems grouped into eleven sections with the impressionistic, welcoming vibe of playlists.
    Christopher Spaide August 1, Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
  • These models generate text, code, images and summaries.
    Naren Narendran, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • In many ways, Vance’s rise has been a compelling manifestation of that retreat.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Prior to the tumor's manifestation, her only symptom had been a sore arm, which the doctors chalked up to arthritis.
    Simar Bajaj, NPR, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • This can happen in different ways for everyone, say binge-watching something, scrolling endlessly, overworking or distracting yourself in other ways.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • For de Lagarde, just as Jewish law distracted from God’s grace, liberalism was a legal straitjacket that kept the German nation from expressing its true spirit.
    Daniel May, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In addition, a 2023 study in the journal of HealthCare summarized how gambling among college students is associated with poor academic performance, violence, substance use, mental health symptoms, and even suicide.
    Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • These devices transcribe the people around you, and often summarize your day, with the ability to extrapolate tasks and insights from your conversations.
    Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Leadership and investors alike are demanding more than just a theoretical promise.
    Fran Rosch, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Or the theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory.
    Joe Hernandez, NPR, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Beyond his policy work, Kindleberger is best known for ‘Mania’s, Panics and Crashes’, the best outline of how asset bubbles form and are followed by crashes.
    Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • In Alaska, Putin gave Trump his outline of a peace plan, which required the Ukrainian army to withdraw from the Donbas in exchange for a freezing of the front line in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
    Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Now, companies must have a process for people to report deepfakes and nonconsensual intimate images, including revenge pornography, within 48 hours of being notified.
    Kayla Jimenez, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Lazy-load images, optimize assets and make sure scrolling feels smooth.
    Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

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