1
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the belief that violent entertainment abets violent behavior in the people who partake of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to aid
to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end
car thieves are often unwittingly abetted by owners foolishly leaving the keys in the ignition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abet
Feeling somehow responsible, Wendy tries to abet the police search with her own investigating.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
The result plays well moment-to-moment, much abetted by Nate Hurtsellers’ somberly handsome cinematography, plus a diverse, expressive original score from Macie Stewart and Quinn Tsan.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
The chaotic Trump agenda that Musk is abetting has sent businesses scrambling.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
In an era of great-power competition, such advocacy from the global South risks playing into Beijing’s hands, abetting China’s rise and speeding the United States’ decline.
—Jorge G. CastaÑeda, Foreign Affairs, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abet
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
The result plays well moment-to-moment, much abetted by Nate Hurtsellers’ somberly handsome cinematography, plus a diverse, expressive original score from Macie Stewart and Quinn Tsan.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
The chaotic Trump agenda that Musk is abetting has sent businesses scrambling.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
In an era of great-power competition, such advocacy from the global South risks playing into Beijing’s hands, abetting China’s rise and speeding the United States’ decline.
—Jorge G. CastaÑeda, Foreign Affairs, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abet
Verb
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Over the past eight years, social media platforms have been skillfully manipulated to provoke anger, rage, fear, and distrust, setting individuals and groups against one another.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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Sometimes, that means getting outside of the Court’s comfort zone of an orderly appeals process when individual judges single-handedly provoke a separation-of-powers crisis.—
The Editors,
National Review,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Now, Lawrence will become a key piece of the Seahawks' defense, and a pass rush specialist that can aid the unit improve in 2025.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
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In addition to North Carolina’s red-wolf crossings, the program has awarded grants for nearly three dozen projects — some of which will aid imperiled species such as ocelots and desert tortoises, many more that will seek to avert dangerous crashes with large mammals like deer, elk, and moose.—
Ben Goldfarb,
Vox,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Federal employees in probationary status ‒ targeted in an initial round of Trump firings ‒ were either recently hired or promoted, usually within the past year.—
Joey Garrison,
USA TODAY,
14 Mar. 2025
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And earlier this month, one of the DOGE representatives who took part in the California trip, Tyler Hassen, was promoted to Interior’s assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, according to an order from Interior Sec.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Police said they were assisted by DCF as well as the Ansonia-Milford State’s Attorney’s Office and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2025
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Jenner was assisted by sister styling duo Alexandra Rose and Mackenzie Grandquist, who she’s worked with since 2022.—
Hannah Malach,
WWD,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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On the positive side, the increase in applications from students of color and the growing diversity of the applicant pool are encouraging signs of progress toward more significant equity in higher education.—
Scott White,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
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Perhaps more importantly, trade war concerns have had a bigger hold on the market: Stocks have tumbled this week despite encouraging inflation data .—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Partner with Industry Collaborating with businesses and organizations can help colleges design curricula that align with workforce needs, ensuring graduates are job-ready.—
Scott White,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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Chris Prichard's life sentence also helped bring her family some comfort, and the courage to move forward.—
Jonathan Vigliotti,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abet. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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