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

That individual, who is a club employee, suffered a minor head injury and refused medical attention at the scene, fire officials said.

— Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
The lawyer who represented Reut during his first court hearing no longer represents him and refused to comment to CNN on the case.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of refused

Verb

Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a Collin County jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Peltola's campaign rejected the support of former Vice President Kamala Harris days ahead of the primary, after Harris' PAC sought to fundraise on her behalf.

— Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

The 6ft 3in (191cm) goalkeeper, who turns 24 this month, had turned down interest from Manchester United to join the Belgian Pro League side, but his age was always going to give more experienced players pause for thought.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Waymos also show promise in reducing carbon emissions and air pollution (the cars are electric), and providing reliable access to people who live in poor neighborhoods (who are routinely turned down by rideshare drivers).

— Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of turned down

Verb

Incumbents hesitated, but young and diverse civic-minded men and women jumped at a chance to compete on a level playing field for state offices.

— Elona Vaisnys, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026
When Kimmel hesitated when guessing Spaghetti & Meatball, Affleck and Ding called upon Ding’s trivia partner Stephen Morrison, who opted not to answer.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 July 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 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of abstained

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on abstained

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

expeditious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes