abandon 1 of 2

1
as in to indulge
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly more than ready to abandon himself to a life of complete idleness for the duration of his vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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abandon

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word abandon different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of abandon are relinquish, resign, surrender, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

When might relinquish be a better fit than abandon?

While in some cases nearly identical to abandon, relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

When can resign be used instead of abandon?

The words resign and abandon can be used in similar contexts, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When is it sensible to use surrender instead of abandon?

The words surrender and abandon are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

Where would waive be a reasonable alternative to abandon?

The meanings of waive and abandon largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

In what contexts can yield take the place of abandon?

In some situations, the words yield and abandon are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

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 abandon
Verb
The movie was greenlit by the previous regime for the company’s streaming service HBO Max, but the team led by WBD’s CEO David Zaslav decided to abandon that strategy and focus on theatrical releases instead. Adam B. Vary, Variety, 26 July 2025 The vehicle, valued at approximately $8,000, was later located abandoned in Cupertino. Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 25 July 2025
Noun
Cajun cooking in particular calls for seasoning food with such wild abandon that no one can stand near the stovetop without having their eyes start to water. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 May 2025 So Jan duly uses it, replicating himself with carefree abandon. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for abandon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandon
Verb
  • Take just five minutes out of the day to indulge yourself in a self-care exercise.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • One of the rare recent TV exercises not to indulge conspiracy-theory tropes but deconstruct and criticize them was Netflix’s winter limited series Zero Day, in which the British actor Dan Stevens played a villainous YouTuber peddling such theories.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 July 2025
Verb
  • The motion goes on to list what prosecutors allege were things outside her role as a judge, including interrupting an unrelated case in her courtroom and going into a fellow judge's courtroom and telling federal officers to leave the hallway in front of her court.
    John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 30 July 2025
  • In 2023, lawmakers passed a set of safety requirements for districts in the wake of the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Uvalde's Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
    Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Verb
  • Timberlake has had to cancel multiple dates on the tour.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
  • Eleven months ago, Queens of the Stone Age cancelled all the remaining dates on their 2024 tour to allow singer Josh Homme to focus on his health.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • Unless forced by budgetary exigencies, colleges never discontinue programs in order to redirect teaching resources to more productive uses.
    Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • In 1981, the Hurricane models were discontinued as technology improved and ushered in new designs with longer life expectancies and lower risks of malfunctioning.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • But much to my surprise and delight, Ryu Hayabusa’s continuation into the realm of AAA 3D action elites once again does not mean the abandonment of where the series started this time around.
    David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
  • Vallow Daybell was arrested in February 2020 in Hawaii, where she and Chad Daybell got married, on child abandonment counts.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Verb
  • The stamp — which features a detailed image of the British troops surrendering — caught Bob Chisholm’s eye and started his love of stamp collecting.
    Lillian Ashworth, Oc Register, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the Twins’ offense had few answers for Boston starter Lucas Giolito, who pitched six innings and surrendered one run on Lee’s double to bring home Bader.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 30 July 2025
Verb
  • So singing the song to the people of London and forsaking the people who can afford a $300 theater ticket is kind of on-theme.
    Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
  • In one of the picture’s most moving scenes, this Superman uses his X-ray vision to gaze through the walls of the house Kate Bosworth’s Lois Lane, having forsaken him, now shares with her young son and her fiancé (James Marsden).
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • But in June, the city officially scrapped its plans for the art installation after declining to immediately remove lead found in the tower, Johnson said in a Wednesday phone interview.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • An unusual rollout plan to release the sequel just seven weeks after the first was scrapped after the movie, made for roughly $100 million, grossed $38 million worldwide.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abandon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandon. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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