as in to keep (from)
to resist the temptation of
couldn't refrain from ruffling her nephew's neatly combed hair whenever she saw him
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for refrain (from)
avoid
Verb
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Refrain from entering water that may have electricity in it and avoid walking through floodwaters.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025 -
Engelbert said Friday that the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association continue to meet and negotiate with the hopes of avoiding a work stoppage.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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“Refrain (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refrain%20%28from%29. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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