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
If texting Dorn descriptions of scents seemed too abstract for me, a podcast seems like an even more difficult medium to describe scent. Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025 Some appear simply abstract, others have funny little people doodled here and there, many are filled with big, bulbous shapes. Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
Noun
One gallery had a special display of five abstracts by Mark Rothko. Rosecrans Baldwin, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2025 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
Verb
The work of flattening out three-dimensional sculpture into a two-dimensional painting was analogous to intellectualizing and abstracting Blackness as media became more mobile in the early twentieth century. Delinda Collier, Artforum, 1 May 2025 Bad abstraction: Over-engineering unnecessary layers that attempt to hide the underlying technology stack (e.g., abstracting away Redshift vs. Snowflake). Elliott Cordo, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 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
  • The firm can, however, use it to extract relevant points from contracts, create summaries of relevant prior case law, and flag up risks.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
  • The Massachusetts Family Institute highlighted in a summary of a legislative hearing held earlier this month that 59 of 70 people had testified in opposition to the bills that look to increase vaccination requirements and reporting standards.
    Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • One of the manifestations of the forces of evil that the CAC congregants see themselves in battle with is depression.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 12 June 2025
  • This is a core manifestation of fascism — using federal forces to put down dissent.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • Shepherding that split to reality will leave WBD leadership distracted for a year, Martin estimated.
    David Bloom, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • Cho, as the perceptive and generous Jin, distracted from his own family troubles by the sudden flashes of Casey’s bright light, is wise and rejuvenated; disinterested admiration makes this man, who looks to be in his forties, nearly a teen-ager again.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The women’s lawyers then issued a press release on Jan. 31, summarizing the claims.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2025
  • Lawyers are already using AI to analyze evidence, summarize witness testimony, and conduct legal research.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • And the consequences of those delays were not theoretical.
    Dr. Shelley Sella, Time, 11 June 2025
  • 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
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
  • This infographic with satellite image from Planet Labs PBC from March 19, 2025, showing the Fordow nuclear site, in Iran.
    Carlo Versano Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025
  • Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Maxar satellite imagery of Fordo fuel enrichment facility.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

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