abstract 1 of 3

abstract

2 of 3

noun

abstract

3 of 3

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 chancellor voided the resolution in Wilson County Chancery Court on Aug. 26, and granted the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgement.
    Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 27 Aug. 2025
  • The suit also alleges that the question that voters will see on their ballots (called a summary statement) and the language posted at polling places (called fair ballot language) are misleading and written to encourage voters to vote in favor of banning abortions.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • There have since been little public manifestations of those questioning Kim's authority.
    Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
  • As August winds down, remember: joy is also part of your healing, and laughter is a form of manifestation too.
    Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Teenage dream: Katy Perry comes to the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday on her global The Lifetimes Tour, a sci-fi spectacle that has left some reviewers (professional and amateur) distracted by too much of … everything.
    Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Just before boarding, many of the children had been filled up with ice cream to help distract them from what lay ahead.
    Doug Most August 20, Literary Hub, 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
  • Yes, there may be a nexus between their images and slavery, but that does not make the men themselves hateful symbols.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on abstract

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!