How to Use abaya in a Sentence

abaya

noun
  • Beside him is a woman in an abaya holding hands with a small girl in pigtails.
    — Alex Perry, Newsweek, 10 June 2015
  • An abaya is a loose-fitting, full-length robe that is typically black.
    — Rebecca Staudenmaier, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2018
  • Some come to holiday without their abaya, but others come to settle.
    — The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021
  • Two handbags stuffed with personal documents were slung across her black abaya.
    — Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2021
  • Following their mother’s lead, each layered on a black dress, black abaya, head scarf and niqab, as well as a face mask.
    — New York Times, 27 Oct. 2021
  • On paper, there are no laws criminalizing women who do not wear the abaya.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2019
  • Some Saudi women in larger cities still wear an abaya, but many forgo any kind of head cover.
    — Felicia Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Jan. 2022
  • She's refused to wear the abaya - loss fitting robes which all Saudi women have to wear in public.
    — Lindsay Ellis, Houston Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2018
  • Inside a room, Ahlam sat in a plastic chair, trembling under a black abaya which concealed her face.
    — Arwa Damon, CNN, 3 July 2019
  • Nabra's father stated that his daughter was wearing an abaya, a traditional long robe.
    — Lincoln Blades, Teen Vogue, 21 June 2017
  • An abaya-wearing Muslim teenager on her way home from a mosque was beaten to death with a metal bat before her body was found dumped in a pond.
    — James Hohmann, Washington Post, 21 June 2017
  • Her abaya, the all-black shroud that is the customary attire for women in Saudi Arabia, stayed home.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2019
  • Some young women have turned the abaya, the baggy black gown meant to conceal a woman’s form, into a high-end fashion accessory.
    — Ben Hubbard and Tasneem Alsultan, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2017
  • One Saudi cyclist, Baraah Luhaid, kept having to deal with her abaya (a robe-style dress) getting stuck in her bike chain.
    — Christine Ro, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2018
  • Women are expected and encouraged to wear the traditional abaya, a long black robe that covers most of a woman's skin.
    — Hannah Wiley, USA TODAY, 13 June 2018
  • Female visitors are not required to wear the conservative black-flowing robe known as the abaya and headscarves in public.
    — Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2019
  • The new rule only allows a woman's eyes to be exposed, meaning women must either wear a burqa or combine a veil and headscarf with a long robe called an abaya.
    — Grayson Quay, The Week, 8 May 2022
  • Minaj, who is known for her provocative dance moves and lyrics, would be performing in front of female fans who are expected to wear modest full-length robes known as an abaya.
    — Rosy Cordero, EW.com, 9 July 2019
  • About 90% of Aramco’s employees are Saudi, but women are as likely to wear trousers as an abaya.
    — The Economist, 31 Oct. 2019
  • Most women in Saudi Arabia cover their hair and face with a veil and all women are required to wear an abaya, a loose black dress, in public.
    — Aya Batrawy, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Oct. 2017
  • The country legally requires women to cover themselves while in public by wearing an abaya, a loosefitting cloak.
    — Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 7 June 2018
  • An officer who stopped a Bloomberg reporter for wearing a colorful abaya, the robe that women must wear in public, was courteous.
    — Vivian Nereim, Bloomberg.com, 26 June 2017
  • Dressed in a body-covering black abaya, Ward flinched repeatedly as gunshots rang out on the streets of Afghanistan’s capital.
    — Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2021
  • Dressed in a long abaya, or Islamic robe, that covers all but her hands and face, her outfit distinguishes her from other students on campus.
    — Matthew Ingalls, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2021
  • The brand’s renown has been fanned by the likes Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, who has sported a Bouguessa abaya as a long duster.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Many of the women wore their hair uncovered and their abayas open over jeans and sneakers, styling them more like long, fluid jackets than the traditional all-covering gowns.
    — Vivian Yee, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2020
  • Elyas said women will probably be required to wear the body-concealing robe known as an abaya, which remains the norm in Saudi Arabia.
    — Alexandra Zavis, latimes.com, 27 Mar. 2018
  • An example sent alongside showed a long, black abaya more typical of that worn in the Persian Gulf, with a head and face covering, black socks and gloves.
    — Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2022
  • Under the kingdom's strict dress code for women, Saudi women and most female visitors are required to wear a loose, black robe, known as an abaya, in public.
    — Julie Pace and Jonathan Lemire, chicagotribune.com, 20 May 2017
  • Nabra was wearing an abaya, a traditional black cloak, and walking back to her mosque with her friends early Sunday morning when the suspect accosted her.
    — Jessica Suerth, CNN, 21 June 2017

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abaya.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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