abandoning

verb

present participle of abandon
1
as in indulging
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly more than ready to abandon himself to a life of complete idleness for the duration of his vacation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leaving
to cause to remain behind abandoned the group that he had been hiking with and struck out on his own

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in canceling
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to) the bad weather forced NASA to abandon the launch

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4
as in discontinuing
to stop doing (something) permanently marriage customs that were abandoned decades ago

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 abandoning The protestors accuse Kumar of abandoning his constitutional obligation to act impartially. — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026 Schottenheimer has faced questions throughout the week around the offense handling pressure, abandoning the run early in games, not finding explosive plays and more. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026 The firm, Ryder Scott, refused to sign off on the figure, ultimately abandoning its work, and didn't provide comment to AP. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 California retains major advantages — talent, research universities, industry clusters and global-market access — but faces pressure to ease costs without abandoning protections and services. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Several companies showed off their latest attempts to bring pinball into virtual reality without abandoning physical controls, letting players wear a VR helmet while pressing real buttons on a pedestal setup. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 The change is less about abandoning showrooms than reconsidering when and how to use them. — Yiling Pan, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026 Thenew album finds Hot Chip confronting an increasingly bleak world with a sound that embraces distortion, decay and dissonance without abandoning the communal pleasures at the heart of the band’s music. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026 Carreira cautioned against abandoning wholesale too early, however, as retailers remain vital for reaching customers and building visibility. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoning
  1. indulging
  2. leaving
  3. canceling
  4. discontinuing
  5. surrendering
  6. forsaking
  7. scrapping
  8. quitting
Verb
  • Adults aren’t always used to indulging this kind of curiosity.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
  • His current employer is Damien Cantor, an authentically sleazy and slippery character who operates under no discernible code beyond indulging a dumb, preening narcissism.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of indulging
Verb
  • The statements Canary described were also deleted, leaving a blank page.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Only 11% said leaving something for the kids is their top financial goal.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of leaving
Verb
  • No one could’ve blamed the grieving community for canceling the game.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Hours earlier, the 77-year-old wrestling Hall of Famer apologized on social media site X for canceling a weekend appearance at the Washington State Horror Con in Puyallup.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of canceling
Verb
  • What’s Happening Search interest in discontinuing TRT is climbing.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Connecticut State Colleges and Universities is discontinuing the investigation into a complaint of bullying and workplace intimidation against Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro following her resignation.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of discontinuing
Verb
  • The Steel Curtain is back, surrendering just six TD passes all season.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Tehran fears that surrendering its maritime leverage first would invite fresh demands; Washington worries that easing pressure would reward coercion without securing lasting constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.
    — Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrendering
Verb
  • Supporters of 2022 World Cup champions Argentina were among the most visible in Doha during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with some saving for four years and forsaking home-buying in order to make the trip.
    — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • If bigger and better opportunities come along, striking while the iron is hot is a logical course of action, even when moves sometimes appear to make more sense for financial reasons than footballing ones and forsaking the comfort of operating in a stable environment.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of forsaking
Verb
  • His party invited high school activists on stage at a rally Sunday, then proposed lowering the voting age to 16 and scrapping selective admissions at universities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Bumble distinguished itself by only allowing women to message first, eventually going public in 2021 at a $14 billion valuation, before scrapping its hallmark rule this year amid declining users.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrapping
Verb
  • Other ways to avoid deep vein thrombosis include quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, drinking water throughout the day and avoiding crossing your legs when sitting.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Theo was thinking about quitting his job to start his own business, which meant, for a time, no income.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of quitting

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abandoners
abandoning
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Cite this Entry

“Abandoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoning. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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