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
Following that model means abandoning the democratic opposition within that country and installing a compliant puppet within the context of the existing regime.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Some lawmakers are leaving to chase higher office or abandoning Springfield politics altogether.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Elon Musk’s use of the drug ketamine will be off limits to attorneys for OpenAI and its chief executive officer Sam Altman during an upcoming jury trial over claims that the generative AI company defrauded Musk by abandoning its nonprofit roots.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Apple’s release of the MacBook Neo is the latest step in its years-long strategy to capture price-sensitive consumers without abandoning its premium brand.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
But even in shedding his party label, Kiley isn’t completely abandoning Republicans.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
Rather than abandoning Brent in favor of a new, North American benchmark, the industry incorporated the newly available US oil grade, WTI Midland, into the Brent complex in 2023.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
More than a dozen other signs reference a former redlight district, the Civil War, and a presidential party abandoning a leaky ship and swimming to shore.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
Agents exchanged unverified data, and discussed abandoning English in favor of a machine-native language.
—Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Some lawmakers are leaving to chase higher office or abandoning Springfield politics altogether.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Elon Musk’s use of the drug ketamine will be off limits to attorneys for OpenAI and its chief executive officer Sam Altman during an upcoming jury trial over claims that the generative AI company defrauded Musk by abandoning its nonprofit roots.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Apple’s release of the MacBook Neo is the latest step in its years-long strategy to capture price-sensitive consumers without abandoning its premium brand.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
But even in shedding his party label, Kiley isn’t completely abandoning Republicans.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
Rather than abandoning Brent in favor of a new, North American benchmark, the industry incorporated the newly available US oil grade, WTI Midland, into the Brent complex in 2023.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
More than a dozen other signs reference a former redlight district, the Civil War, and a presidential party abandoning a leaky ship and swimming to shore.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
Agents exchanged unverified data, and discussed abandoning English in favor of a machine-native language.
—Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoning
Verb
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The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.—
Hamilton Cain,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
-
There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On his podcast, Crosby, one of the NFL's elite edge rushers, discussed the whirlwind of emotions of thinking he was headed to a new organization and then leaving still as a member of the Raiders.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Cuba plunged into an unprecedented blackout after its entire electrical grid suddenly suffered a total collapse on Monday, briefly leaving roughly 10 million residents in total darkness.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The group’s de-facto leader, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, was tasked with identifying and cancelling contracts collectively worth billions of dollars.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
-
San Jose, the largest city in Northern California, is canceling its César Chavez celebration, the mayor announced Wednesday morning.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In 2024, a report found that hospitals across Florida were discontinuing obstetric care due to lack of funding.—
Michelle Nall,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Pentagon in January, including discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge, introducing a Military Service merit badge and waiving registration fees for the children of military personnel.—
Jamie Stengle,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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McLean then took the loss in his first WBC start, surrendering three runs over three innings in Team USA’s 8-6 defeat by Team Italy during pool play.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Backup goaltender Casey DeSmith had one of his worst nights, surrendering five goals on 21 shots.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But that doesn’t mean forsaking the forecast and the threat of more dipping temperatures to come.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The Padres dressed like the Brewers and Mariners, forsaking the brown-and-gold merchandise boom to come.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Big 12 is reportedly scrapping the court for Friday’s semifinals.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Vietnam is also considering scrapping its tariffs on fuel imports.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While the study focused on diabetes patients, Al-Aly said people who take GLP-1s to reduce obesity also should be aware of potential harms from quitting.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
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Across America, only six in 10 caregivers remain employed, and half report work disruptions — arriving late, leaving early or quitting entirely.—
Neal K. Shah,
Boston Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abandoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoning. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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