1
as in indulging
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 leaving
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 canceling
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 discontinuing
to stop doing (something) permanently
marriage customs that were abandoned decades ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abandoning
Those hoping to attend the game described a frantic scene on social media, with some sharing stories of abandoning their rides, including shuttles and rideshares, and walking to the stadium.
—
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
Build bridges without abandoning your brilliant self.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
For now, at least, the ultrawealthy don’t appear to be abandoning New York.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 June 2026
By abandoning static product pages, the collaborative platform swaps out the traditional, tedious e-commerce funnel for a fully conversational shopping experience.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
These beliefs may be based on bad, outdated, or incomplete information, but our brains cling to them because abandoning them would disrupt the normal flow of information.
—Dr. Deepika Chopra, Flow Space, 16 June 2026
Broward County is abandoning its effort to acquire the headquarters left behind when Spirit Airlines shut down last month.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
The move suggests a broader shift in Tehran, where a new generation of leaders is increasingly abandoning the cautious, reactive approach that long defined the Islamic Republic’s strategy towards its adversaries.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
These networks are viewed with less enthusiasm in the age of streaming, because more consumers are abandoning their cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 June 2026
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
Build bridges without abandoning your brilliant self.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
For now, at least, the ultrawealthy don’t appear to be abandoning New York.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 June 2026
By abandoning static product pages, the collaborative platform swaps out the traditional, tedious e-commerce funnel for a fully conversational shopping experience.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
These beliefs may be based on bad, outdated, or incomplete information, but our brains cling to them because abandoning them would disrupt the normal flow of information.
—Dr. Deepika Chopra, Flow Space, 16 June 2026
Broward County is abandoning its effort to acquire the headquarters left behind when Spirit Airlines shut down last month.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
The move suggests a broader shift in Tehran, where a new generation of leaders is increasingly abandoning the cautious, reactive approach that long defined the Islamic Republic’s strategy towards its adversaries.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
These networks are viewed with less enthusiasm in the age of streaming, because more consumers are abandoning their cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoning
Verb
-
Thank you for indulging me on that.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
26 May 2026
-
The decor offers a colorful contrast to the austere exterior, allowing the house to honor the neighborhood while indulging the whims of its occupants.—
Fred Albert,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
With little money and competitive standards falling, players started leaving Ghana earlier than before, and not always to go to Europe.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
The photo of Kyle and Amanda leaving the reunion and laughing went viral, which also set off some conspiracies among the very normal fandom of these shows.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Their relief at the reopening of the Hormuz reopening is real, but none of the major producers are canceling their pipeline feasibility studies.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
In the last decade or so, network TV channels have reduced their late-night talk-show lineups, most recently with CBS canceling The Late Show.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
In some cases, patients who no longer wish to take the medication because of inconvenience or side effects can slowly taper off, eventually discontinuing medication altogether.—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
10 June 2026
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Personal care products like dental floss, diapers, menstrual products, moisturizer and makeup are also potential sources of PFAS exposure, though some companies are discontinuing the use of those chemicals in their products.—
Mara Hoplamazian,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Sirianni, 45, a hypercompetitive hothead who has conspicuously engaged with players (in Eagles and opposing jerseys), coaches (Eagles and opposing), fans (same) and officials, wants to be a mature person who can rein in his emotions, but not at the expense of surrendering his essence.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Filling this time with meetings (or low-yield tasks) means surrendering the hours best suited for deep work and strategic thinking to reactive demands.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Supporters of 2022 World Cup champions Argentina were among the most visible in Doha during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with some saving for four years and forsaking home-buying in order to make the trip.—
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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If bigger and better opportunities come along, striking while the iron is hot is a logical course of action, even when moves sometimes appear to make more sense for financial reasons than footballing ones and forsaking the comfort of operating in a stable environment.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday that the department was scrapping the plan.—
Michelle L. Price,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
But Blanche announced this week that the administration was scrapping the plan.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Nearly 8 in 10 grieving workers consider quitting their jobs after a major loss, according to workplace bereavement firm Empathy.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
Lee was thinking of quitting baseball when he was released before getting scooped by the Braves as a minor-league free agent in 2021.—
Jesús Cano,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abandoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoning. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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