as in to refuse
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Recent Examples of abstain
New guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises that people abstain from cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation and recommends that providers ask all of their patients about cannabis use before, during and after pregnancy to help avoid potential risks.
—
Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Galicia Lopez was also ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs, pay $370 in fines and fees and pay restitution in an amount to be determined in the future, prosecutors added.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
The actor started participating in Dry January in 2022, originally planning to abstain just for the month.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
One older study found that people who drink beer may end up with more mosquito bites than those who abstain from drinking.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstain
Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Galicia Lopez was also ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs, pay $370 in fines and fees and pay restitution in an amount to be determined in the future, prosecutors added.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
The actor started participating in Dry January in 2022, originally planning to abstain just for the month.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
One older study found that people who drink beer may end up with more mosquito bites than those who abstain from drinking.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstain
Verb
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During one heated exchange, immigration agents who did not want to be captured on body camera footage refused to invite FBI agents along for an arrest operation, one of the sources said.—
Josh Campbell,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
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According to Film Workers for Palestine, the pledge was inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, a group founded by high-profile directors such as Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese, which demanded that the film industry refuse to distribute work in South Africa.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The council had already rejected Allied once before, months earlier, over settlements — including back wages — that the company has had to pay out to current and former employees.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
17 Oct. 2025
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Teachers, students, and parents alike rejected the $850 million effort.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Campbell has turned down a lot of interest from other jobs, but Penn State is a different level of job, especially for an Ohio native who began his playing career at Pitt.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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But the then-burgeoning actor, 45, turned down the part.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Because life—even for us jaded adults—should be for the seizing, not for hesitating in the face of fear.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
9 Oct. 2025
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Upon receiving the handoff, Pacheco hesitated for a beat before faking left, juking right and breaking a tackle on the way to his longest rush of the season — a 16-yard gain on a drive that ended in a Kansas City touchdown.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Accompanying these principles must be a rejection of the impulse to temporize about the dangers that confront us and a rejection of the bizarre deprecation of our nation and civilization.—
Peter J. Travers,
National Review,
29 Mar. 2022
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Even groups long noted for opposing nuclear power, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Sierra Club, seem quietly ready to temporize on practical matters, such as allowing existing plants to continue as transitional energy sources.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harper’s Magazine ,
4 Jan. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Abstain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstain. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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