ABSTAINING Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

abstaining

verb

present participle of abstain

as in refusing

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstaining

Verb

They were called in when some individuals were refusing to leave and laying down, blocking an exit.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Their lawyers spoke about the police refusing to reveal their location.

— Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

Alvarez said that rejecting Amendment 2 means rejecting the small farmer who can’t keep cows in the field.

— Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Stewart was an executive producer of his friend Colbert’s show and harshly criticized the cancellation, rejecting Paramount’s financial justification and accusing the company of bending the knee to the president.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of rejecting

Verb

John only found peace by giving up the ring, turning down the gig, and forging his own path.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
The woman accused of keeping him captive, 58-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, is expected to head to trial after turning down two plea deals during a hearing in Waterbury Superior Court earlier this month.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of turning down

Verb

With more than seven million people packed into over 9,000 high-rises, efficiency is key here, and people will judge you for holding up lines, hesitating with your Octopus card, or lingering over your dim sum table while others are waiting.

— Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
But experts have worried that doctors are hesitating to offer treatment without an ironclad diagnosis, which clinicians say can take time and increase risks to the mother.

— Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of hesitating

Verb

The significance of the phase 3 data extends beyond delaying a recurrence, doctors said.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
According to the county staff report, delaying repairs for a formal bidding process could increase the risk of additional sinkholes, ground collapse and property damage.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

Chinese firms have been suffering from declining profit growth amid intense competition that has eroded margins and even invited the government to step in.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
While program closures at colleges and universities often result from declining enrollment or a financial crisis, our decisions at Valencia are driven by neither.

— Kathleen Plinske, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of declining

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“Abstaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstaining. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abstaining

verb

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