ABANDONING Synonyms: 156 Similar and Opposite Words

abandoning

verb

present participle of abandon

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

as in discontinuing

to stop doing (something) permanently marriage customs that were abandoned decades ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 abandoning For Chan, success depends on convincing voters that the city’s challenges do not require abandoning the progressive politics that have long identified it. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026 Robinson is right that the culture has professionalized without abandoning its roots. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Your routine could feel unbearably repetitive, sparking fantasies of abandoning the whole thing. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 The advice about not following your kids is often about not abandoning your life and support systems and assuming your kids will fill in the gaps. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 31 July 2026 Even the album cover is part of her statement, wearing her hair down and loose — Ariana abandoning her ponytail is as iconic as George Michael setting fire to his leather jacket. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026 Young life scientists have been increasingly abandoning academia, a seismic shift that has fueled calls for rethinking graduate education. — Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 29 July 2026 If someone expects too much, don’t soothe the tension by abandoning your limit. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2026 Civil disagreement doesn’t mean abandoning strong beliefs or backing down from a debate, but informed and respectful conviction. — Frederick J. Ryan, Fortune, 25 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandoning

Verb

On that note, resist the urge to bury discomfort by indulging, shopping or being stubbornly silent.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Will blamed Cal for the idea; Cal, Will for indulging it; both of them the other for not being the one dead.

— Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of indulging

Verb

On the Eastern Plains near Manzanola, Alice Craig McDonald, 91, lives near the homestead her grandparents claimed after leaving Oklahoma by wagon in 1916 -- descendants of people born into slavery who came west looking for land of their own.

— Anna Alejo, CBS News, 31 July 2026
More than 3,200 children have been killed or injured since February 24, 2022, and more than 1,700 schools and education facilities have been damaged or destroyed, leaving one in three children without full-time in-person education.

— Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

Definition of leaving

Verb

Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty last week to 55 charges, canceling a trial that was scheduled to begin in October at a courthouse in Columbia County.

— Taylor Croft, AJC.com, 28 July 2026
Cracker Barrel stopped the updates in their tracks, reverting to its old logo and canceling plans to remodel restaurants.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 27 July 2026

Definition of canceling

Verb

As part of this strategy, the 123-year-old brand began making space in its lineups for battery-electric vehicles by discontinuing ICE models, like the mid-size XT6, which stopped production in early 2025.

— Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 July 2026
Agios Pharmaceuticals is discontinuing the development of a next-generation drug called tebapivat for sickle cell disease.

— Elaine Chen, STAT, 21 July 2026

Definition of discontinuing

Verb

Though Springs’ outing was particularly rough Friday, Kotsay said his ability to escape the fourth inning, which saw the Tigers load the bases with one out, after only surrendering one run, was a positive takeaway.

— Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
But at the same time, there was something in really wanting to challenge myself and just surrendering to having the experience of being that person, that felt artistically really satisfying and kind of liberating.

— Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of surrendering

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
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

Definition of forsaking

Verb

And in 1992, nine months into unemployment after quitting her decade-long career in wealth management, tacos became the gateway to entrepreneurship.

— Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Stock plan provisions relating to death are usually more employee-friendly than those for other types of job termination, such as being laid off, getting fired, or quitting to work for another company.

— Bruce Brumberg, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of quitting

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“Abandoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandoning. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of abandoning

verb

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