abstract 1 of 3

abstract

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noun

abstract

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verb

1
as in to distract
to draw the attention or mind to something else personal problems abstracted him so persistently that he struggled to keep his mind on his work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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 abstract
Adjective
He is known for his colorful blend of Eastern and Western painting styles, abstract sculptures and ink paintings. The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 20 Mar. 2025 Kanzi went on to learn hundreds of symbols that represented various objects and activities, as well as some more abstract concepts. Kate Wong, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
At the time, Turing was traveling from the abstract to the concrete. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Feb. 2025 More than communication tools, languages help concretize the abstract, providing frameworks for making sense of concepts as fundamental as time. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
Oracle seems to truly understand this and, as a company, has invested a lot in abstracting both complex and mundane tasks away from IT staffers through automation. Matt Kimball, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 Nonetheless, when abstracted from Ancient Rome, several of his maneuvers can teach contemporary entrepreneurs some great lessons. Ted Ladd, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abstract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstract
Adjective
  • This violent event flashes onstage in the manner of a traumatic memory, with Goodman’s Jesse writhing on Justin Huen’s impressionistic urban set as lighting and sound designer Matt Richter underscores the hallucinatory nature of the assault with strobe effects.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
  • The book is very short and impressionistic, just a series of encounters with different characters.
    The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Write your summary like a human, not a corporation.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The subtleties of Baer’s composition in relationship to the flanks defy easy summary.
    Sarah K. Rich, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • And for those watching from on high—senators, judges, CEOs—mass protests are physical manifestations of public opinion.
    Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
  • The Woman must be a manifestation of Ramona’s grief: a thing that arrived uninvited into this family’s life, cast a shadow over their home, and refused to leave.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Europe is distracted by Mr. Trump’s trade war, and Mr. Netanyahu has consolidated his coalition’s majority in Israel’s Parliament, giving him more political space to act.
    Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Don't be distracted by extra information (whether visual, computational, or otherwise).
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But to summarize, he was born in San Benito, Texas — not far from Brownsville and the Mexico border town of Matamoros — and raised by his mother in a nearby trailer park.
    Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2025
  • According to Dewey's Instagram Stories summarizing the fatal incident, the toddler was playing with a suction cup bowl by sticking it onto a mirror and pulling it back and forth.
    Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Over the ensuing fifteen years, publications about the theoretical or methodological implications of computer vision for the study of art have proliferated, generating an extensive discourse about its potentials.
    Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Google leverages the theoretical power of generative AI to give Gemini access to data across multiple apps.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As Pagels portrays them, the evangelists were men of creative genius, using their defense of Jesus as an occasion to draft the outlines of a new world religion.
    Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
  • But the device is shrouded in shadow, revealing only two joysticks and the outline of the central screen.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The New Yorker received the National Magazine Award for photography, winning for images illustrating three very distinct stories.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The images feature the brand’s ready-to-wear, custom and bespoke suits, the latter of which are available by appointment with the company’s master tailor.
    Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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