ABSTAINED Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

abstained

verb

past tense of abstain

as in refused

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstained

Verb

In the criminal complaint, the officer alleges Bowman pulled his hands away and refused commands to put them behind his back.

— Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered his resignation, which Macron refused.

— Ariella Noveck, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of refused

Verb

The Offer At My Front Door During my time on the council, a developer appealed to us after the planning board rejected his plan for condos overlooking the largest lake in town.

— Jim Carlough, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
The bill is due before lawmakers on Tuesday, after the finance committee rejected it.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

Evidence in that case showed that Asian applicants with very high test scores were often turned down.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
According to a 2026 survey funded by a high school trades group and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, 1 in 6 students reported trying to enroll in trades courses but being turned down due to a lack of space.

— P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of turned down

Verb

While its lawyers have not hesitated to send cease-and-desist letters to AI companies, Disney is among the big media companies looking for ways to get in the AI game and profit from its boom.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Teammates excitedly jumped off the bench, then hesitated when Thiero’s right knee appeared to buckle awkwardly under him.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitated

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Browse Nearby Words

abstain

abstained

abstained (from)

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

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Synonyms of abstained

verb

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