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
From left: Tam Kaur poses for a headshot; and an abstract illustration of a woman walking along a cliff towards a sign with directions. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025 Creativity brought a more abstract direction where outlines became bolder and more organic, for fresh interpretations of house codes. Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 27 May 2025
Noun
At this week's conference, the company presented 18 abstracts highlighting its Guardant Infinity platform, which integrates blood and tissue testing to provide a comprehensive view of a patient's cancer. Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025 Four hundred participants with doctoral degrees were assigned to read the same research abstract. Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
In his tableau-like compositions, with their classical-painterly lighting, his characters declaim, bringing a blunt candor to a refined and abstracted sensibility. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025 The work instead appears to unfold in segments that are vaguely linear, with the plot of the Shakespeare play abstracted into moving tableaux. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abstract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstract
Adjective
  • The impressionistic doc captures people who have long been contending with the ravages of war and terror, most recently inflicted by ISIS.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 May 2025
  • This is an era of action RPGs coated in the fingerprints of FromSoftware’s brutal, impressionistic Dark Souls.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • This was the 21st flight for the first stage, including 13 prior Starlink missions, according to a flight summary on SpaceX's website.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 3 June 2025
  • Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot. Updated 11:30 a.m. June 3, 2025: Because the bill’s summary was not updated to reflect legislative changes, this story originally misreported the final language of House Bill 1146.
    Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • In many ways, American Science & Surplus is a physical manifestation of the maker ethos.
    Eric Bangeman – Jun 4, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2025
  • All around these memories there were beautiful pieces by Grace Wales Bonner and Willy Chavarria, living manifestations of how much André did to help promote talented people of color.
    Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Sending in the National Guard was an obvious military flex, designed to to bait Angelenos while perhaps distracting Americans from Trump’s far greater troubles.
    Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
  • The upshot is, an ADAS, such as Tesla FSD and robotaxi, does not get distracted and is laser-focused on the road.
    Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • Lawyers are already using AI to analyze evidence, summarize witness testimony, and conduct legal research.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
  • The women’s lawyers then issued a press release on Jan. 31, summarizing the claims.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • My expertise in information technology over a 30-year journey often requires an immersion of innovative technologies, such as AI, to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application.
    Deanna Laster, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
  • And the consequences of those delays were not theoretical.
    Dr. Shelley Sella, Time, 11 June 2025
Noun
  • Team Trump falsely promotes vague five-page outlines with alienated former allies as big deals; China is successfully wooing some of its former rivals, such as Vietnam.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
  • Stars can be seen shining above the outline of our planet's dense, gaseous atmosphere as the sun sets, while city lights and lightning storms play across the cloudy vista below.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 12 June 2025
Noun
  • Any federal agent using Clearview or an alternative can take the same footage and run facial images to find matches across photos scraped from social sites.
    Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Israeli officials released images of Thunberg and others wearing orange life vests and sitting closely together on the Madleen.
    Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 9 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 15 Jun. 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!