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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to leave
to cause to remain behind
abandoned the group that he had been hiking with and struck out on his own
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to cancel
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
the bad weather forced NASA to abandon the launch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to discontinue
to stop doing (something) permanently
marriage customs that were abandoned decades ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in abandonment
carefree freedom from constraint
added spices to the stew with complete abandon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abandon
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
Venable, who denied being at the shooting during a police interview, abandoned his vehicle, the affidavit said.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
William Pesek, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The relatives ate with a mixture of businesslike efficiency and gleeful abandon.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abandon
Verb
After finding the tracks, Young abandoned the coyote trail in favor of fleshing out the otter's path.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
Venable, who denied being at the shooting during a police interview, abandoned his vehicle, the affidavit said.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
Since the mid-1990s, one government after another added to Tokyo’s debt load with abandon.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The relatives ate with a mixture of businesslike efficiency and gleeful abandon.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abandon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandon
Verb
-
Set directly on 600 feet of beachfront, the hotel boasts an outdoor beach club, four pools, and an 18,000-square-foot wellness center, which encompasses the Bamford Wellness Spa and Anatomy gym (drop the kids off at Seedlings kids club to fully indulge).—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Robb Report,
5 Feb. 2026
-
And don’t forget that everything is all-inclusive—even lobster—so why not indulge?—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In France, 60% of respondents said their government’s policies will leave future generations worse off, as did 53% in the United Kingdom and 51% in Germany.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Payne fled after the shooting, leaving his children behind.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Airlines canceled flights and cultural events were postponed as Cuba endures its worst fuel shortage in years, harming tourism and the broader economy.—
Andrea Rodriguez,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But with one principal calling football worse than bull fighting, high school games were cancelled in Kansas City in 1906 and 1907 and there was talk of replacing it with soccer football.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There are plenty of reasons for an automaker to discontinue a nameplate.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Delta previously discontinued the JFK–Orange County route due to airport capacity constraints, but its return signals renewed interest in premium domestic travel.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Some 64 years later, the development is officially coming down, following years of decay, neglect and abandonment.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the legislature should act on the report’s recommendations with actions to strengthen reporting, enforce existing laws, prevent further abandonment of wells and ensure polluters pay for cleanup.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Concerned about the safety of two children in the home, Aljorna and Sosa-Celis surrendered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Arizona recently surrendered about a third of its allotted supply of the river through both mandatory and compensated voluntary cuts to keep Lake Mead from going dry.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So why would Walter consider forsaking some of those substantial financial resources?—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Its gentle without forsaking cleanliness, and leaves skin feeling softer after each use.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Originally envisioned as a musical, Williams was tasked with writing original songs with lyricist Leslie Bricusse before the idea was scrapped.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Suburban leaders indicated the mix of power sharing and new money could be enough to persuade the likes of Plano and Irving to scrap looming withdrawal elections in the nick of time, with just days before some counties finalize May ballots.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abandon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandon. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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