as in to refuse
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Recent Examples of abstain
People with existing liver disease should completely abstain from alcohol.
—
Lindsay Curtis, Health, 8 Apr. 2025
Canada has already retaliated with its own tariffs, while Mexico has so far abstained from doing so.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 31 Mar. 2025
Young marijuana users are six times more likely to have a heart attack than those who abstain from the drug, according to a new study that analyzed data from more than 4.6 million people.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
State ethics rules require that lawmakers abstain from voting only if the legislation would disproportionately affect their business, compared to others in the industry.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstain
Lindsay Curtis, Health, 8 Apr. 2025
Canada has already retaliated with its own tariffs, while Mexico has so far abstained from doing so.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 31 Mar. 2025
Young marijuana users are six times more likely to have a heart attack than those who abstain from the drug, according to a new study that analyzed data from more than 4.6 million people.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
State ethics rules require that lawmakers abstain from voting only if the legislation would disproportionately affect their business, compared to others in the industry.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstain
Verb
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For more than a decade, Cox has refused to carry SportsNet LA because of its high cost.—
Ryan Faughnder,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
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Related Stories Sonja Morgan Banned from N.Y.C. Hotspot After Walking Out on $1,000 Bill Sonja Morgan Speaks Out After Leaving Restaurant in Ambulance On May 10, Morgan allegedly refused to pay her $1000 bill at Tucci, an upscale restaurant in the Noho neighborhood of Manhattan.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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In December, the state Legislature initially rejected the plan because of funding ambiguities.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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The jury rejected the BBC's defense that its journalism was fair, responsible and in the public interest.—
Fatima Al-Kassab,
NPR,
30 May 2025
Verb
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No superstar free agent is turning down Los Angeles or Miami or Boston to come to the Circle City.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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Hagen then turns the camera to a bystander that had supposedly turned down an opportunity to put one on.—
Angel Diaz,
Billboard,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Marsch didn’t hesitate to call on the 21-year-old to replace Davies in March.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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When asked to reflect on a moment that stands out from his 5-year tenure (2000-2005), AJ didn’t hesitate.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Romney's Cass took Obama to task for opposing development of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and for temporizing on the Keystone pipeline, while Obama's Aldy accused Romney of being insensitive to the environment and to the needs and desires of future generations.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Oct. 2012
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Accompanying these principles must be a rejection of the impulse to temporize about the dangers that confront us and a rejection of the bizarre deprecation of our nation and civilization.—
Peter J. Travers,
National Review,
29 Mar. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Abstain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstain. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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