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
This will provide the maximum amount of time for Europe to adjust without the deadline becoming so abstract that momentum dissipates. Christopher S. Chivvis, Foreign Affairs, 23 July 2025 Advertisement In an abstract perspective, this makes thematic sense. Andy Crump, Time, 20 July 2025
Noun
Straus has authored over 85 refereed journal articles and many reports, abstracts/proceedings, popular articles and newsletters, in addition to mentoring several graduate students. Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025 The study was presented as an abstract, but a more in-depth manuscript of the investigation will be submitted for peer review in the coming months, Mahdavi said. Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
Verb
In one of the film’s most exquisite moments, Casey shows Jin, from the banal setting of her car, the building that sparked her aesthetic awakening; then her hand, holding a cigarette, traces the building’s outlines, as seen from her own ardently abstracting perspective. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025 Prepare to be abstracted: Brand recognition won’t disappear, but it will be backgrounded. Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for abstract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstract
Adjective
  • What’s remarkable about this light-footed film is its impressionistic, childlike vision of an African country on the verge of violence.
    Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
  • As if acknowledging the decidedly impressionistic quality of the translation, each of Emoji Dick’s lines of emoji was accompanied by the original text.
    Longreads, Longreads, 1 July 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, 1 Aug. 2025
  • The platform is currently testing Reddit Answers, a feature that works like an AI chatbot but curates summaries exclusively from Reddit threads.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The collecting of hair is, in short, a deeply unrelatable manifestation of deeply relatable emotions: love, grief, nostalgia, yearning.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
  • While in police custody, Madelyn Cline's Danica Richards has a vision of Helen, who was memorably killed by the Fisherman in the 1997 movie, as a manifestation of her guilt.
    Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 20 July 2025
Verb
  • The legal fight threatens to distract from the group's goals in a state where Democrats already struggle to adequately field and fund candidates.
    Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 14 July 2025
  • This all, of course, was not to distract from the center of her makeup look: a matte red lip.
    Essence, Essence, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Rev's software currently offers AI models that can record, transcribe, take notes and summarize to aid legal professionals in their day-to-day jobs.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • Instead of scrolling through links, users can now ask the agent to summarize articles, compare products or compile travel itineraries.
    Perry Carpenter, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • The theoretical ways drugs can affect heat tolerance are well-known, but there haven't been enough systematic analyses looking at how, and at what levels, and for whom drugs affect heat tolerance, says Yorgi Mavros, a heat expert at The University of Sydney.
    Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 30 July 2025
  • The doctrine of communication by conduct is not merely a theoretical construct.
    Majeed Javdani, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Noun
  • The Journal reported that Trump's note featured typewritten text surrounded by the outline of a naked woman, complete with Trump's signature below the woman's waist, which appeared to mimic pubic hair.
    Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
  • Its edges are gently rounded, without the hard contrast-y outline of the macOS pointer.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • Check out images of the iconic statue over the years.
    Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 29 July 2025
  • Judging by Walters' press release, the suspicion appears to be that someone in the room had a phone, tablet, or laptop connected to or previously paired with the television, and that the images were coming from that machine.
    Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 28 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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