ABSTAINED Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

abstained

verb

past tense of abstain

as in refused

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstained

Verb

Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat and has made unsubstantiated accusations of election fraud.

— MATTHEW LEE, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
Western institutions in recent years refused to invest in gas infrastructure, arguing countries would be locked into fossil fuel dependence.

— Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 28 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

Harbach spent a decade writing it; it was turned down by umpteen literary gatekeepers; eventually, one plucky young agent took a chance on it, and a bidding war ensued.

— Malcolm Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026
Skerritt originally turned down the role as Captain Dallas of the doomed spacecraft Nostromo in Alien (1979) after fearing that the film’s budget would be consumed by special effects.

— Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 22 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

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.

Browse Nearby Words

abstain

abstained

abstained (from)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of abstained

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes