as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
felt terribly abashed when she walked into the wrong hotel room
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Recent Examples of abash
Here, furious parents throw open the cupboard to reveal their daughter’s abashed lover, as younger children look on wide-eyed and the family dog prepares to attack.
—
Susan Delson, WSJ, 20 June 2018
Bloom called him out, and the abashed Harris apologized.
—Christina Schoellkopf, latimes.com, 15 June 2018
Not easily abashed by body-shamers, Teigen has publicly posted next-to-naked topless photos in the past.
—Megan Decker, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 May 2018
Hefner was good-natured but rather abashed, diffident, and shy.
—Jeanie Pyun, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2017
Peverelli seemed slightly abashed at the images’ potential elevation from commerce to art.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 22 May 2017
But there is also a sort of confused, abashed one, often ironic, that acknowledges a problem and tries to work through a particularly American obliviousness.
—Jill McDonough, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2017
Susan Delson, WSJ, 20 June 2018
Bloom called him out, and the abashed Harris apologized.
—Christina Schoellkopf, latimes.com, 15 June 2018
Not easily abashed by body-shamers, Teigen has publicly posted next-to-naked topless photos in the past.
—Megan Decker, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 May 2018
Hefner was good-natured but rather abashed, diffident, and shy.
—Jeanie Pyun, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2017
Peverelli seemed slightly abashed at the images’ potential elevation from commerce to art.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 22 May 2017
But there is also a sort of confused, abashed one, often ironic, that acknowledges a problem and tries to work through a particularly American obliviousness.
—Jill McDonough, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abash
Verb
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O’Neil had shown a more ruthless streak in dealing with Lemina, stripping the midfielder of the captaincy after those embarrassing post-match scenes at West Ham.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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Punk proceeded to beatdown and embarrass McIntyre, leading to Priest cashing in his Money in the Bank contract and winning the title from McIntyre.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hippler said in the new order bringing more attention to it in opening statements and through expert testimony would add more time to the already lengthy trial and probably confuse the jury.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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Snakeheads are often confused with a native species—the bowfin—but anglers can tell them apart by looking at the anal fin, which is much longer on a snakehead.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Zmuda flustered Kaufman, throwing him off his rhythm, leading to more awkward silence and melancholy.—
Jason Zinoman,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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As for defense, Mission Hills flustered the hosts, forcing 17 turnovers.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The line between the two is seamless and not at all disconcerting.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2025
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The first 10 minutes of USC’s NCAA tournament debut had been disconcerting enough already.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The move has rattled economists, manufacturers, and security experts.—
Stephanie Hanes,
Christian Science Monitor,
18 Apr. 2025
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Meanwhile, Trump’s evolving tariff policies and economic war with China continue to rattle investors and businesses.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abash. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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