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

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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
There are still subversive ideas — for one thing, this is a shark film with precious few sharks — but Byrne’s sneaky smarts have largely abandoned him. Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025 Her red Chevy Avalanche was found abandoned with windows rolled down -- a detail that immediately alarmed her family. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 6 June 2025
Noun
Advertisement Advertisement Pope Francis believed in capitalism, but not the kind that exploits, extracts, and abandons. John Hope Bryant, Time, 21 Apr. 2025 And that has allowed American consumers to spend with relative abandon. Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abandon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandon
Verb
  • Strive to indulge once in a while without overdoing it.
    Leigh Morgan, Quartz, 2 June 2025
  • Lot holders know that tchotchkes aren’t allowed but that the grounds crew will indulge them, for a time.
    Paige Williams, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Guests are encouraged to leave their small army assistants and handlers behind (though some stash them in nearby hotels).
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 10 June 2025
  • In one case, the person had left the state overnight.
    Eric Cortellessa, Time, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • Russia initially built for Egypt before Cairo canceled the contract would be delivered to Tehran instead.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • All incoming and outgoing flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport have been canceled.
    Christina Wilkie,Anniek Bao,Riya Bhattacharjee, CNBC, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Places like Burger King and Taco Bell did venture into chicken wraps at one point, but eventually discontinued them from the menu.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 6 June 2025
  • Apple took a similar stab at this idea in the early days of the iPhone with Game Center, which still exists as a service in the background on modern Apple devices but was discontinued as a standalone app quite a few years ago.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Volunteers advocate for children who have been removed from their home from either abuse, abandonment or neglect.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2025
  • Moreover, reengaging with Iran does not require the abandonment of normalization efforts with Israel.
    Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • Pickard’s only goal surrendered was the one from Sam Reinhart that tied Game 4 with 19.5 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime.
    David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025
  • Candy surrendered for arrest on June 26, 1980, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
    Jessica Sager, People.com, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Trump has his own social media and has browbeaten others, notably Facebook, into forsaking fact-checking.
    Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Should the United States forsake Ukraine, Europe would suffer multiple misfortunes.
    Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • The Cinderella fourth seed kept scrapping runs together, forcing the Bruins to use six pitchers.
    Brady Oltmans, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025
  • While that ruling is on hold pending appeal from the Trump administration, the developments signaled to retailers that the tariffs could be scrapped altogether, the survey results show.
    Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 12 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abandon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandon. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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