abandon 1 of 2

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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abandon

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word abandon different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of abandon are relinquish, resign, surrender, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

When might relinquish be a better fit than abandon?

While in some cases nearly identical to abandon, relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

When can resign be used instead of abandon?

The words resign and abandon can be used in similar contexts, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When is it sensible to use surrender instead of abandon?

The words surrender and abandon are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

Where would waive be a reasonable alternative to abandon?

The meanings of waive and abandon largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

In what contexts can yield take the place of abandon?

In some situations, the words yield and abandon are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

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 abandon
Verb
That changes the night of the attack, however, when a concerned Kei pulls up in his van and Mai clambers in, abandoning her fanbase, her bandmates and her management, for love. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 28 May 2025 Shein appears to be abandoning its hopes for a flotation in London. Niamh Rowe, Quartz, 28 May 2025
Noun
Advertisement Advertisement Pope Francis believed in capitalism, but not the kind that exploits, extracts, and abandons. John Hope Bryant, Time, 21 Apr. 2025 And that has allowed American consumers to spend with relative abandon. Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abandon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abandon
Verb
  • Their admirably robust menu indulges coastal cravings via seasonal oysters and Gulf shrimp while appeasing land lovers with steakhouse favorites and handmade pastas.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 26 May 2025
  • This multicultural circus indulges the racial stereotyping that should be Hwang’s subject.
    Armond White, National Review, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Place the basil leaves (and optional lemon zest) into a clean glass jar.
    Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • The judge will be left to decide how the company should be punished, concluding the biggest tech antitrust case in 25 years.
    Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • The news came just days after the Trump administration canceled funding for Moderna to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic flu viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu, despite promising early study results.
    CBS News, CBS News, 31 May 2025
  • Musk has faced fierce backlash over his drastic cuts to the government's budget, including canceling thousands of federal jobs, and the dismantling of entire agencies.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • Apple took a similar stab at this idea in the early days of the iPhone with Game Center, which still exists as a service in the background on modern Apple devices but was discontinued as a standalone app quite a few years ago.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
  • Places like Burger King and Taco Bell did venture into chicken wraps at one point, but eventually discontinued them from the menu.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • The abandonment of past constraints like the Conrad Rule has created a loophole, enabling legislators to use reconciliation to enact policies that could harm the nation’s fiscal outlook, simply by demonstrating fiscal impact.
    Doug Criscitello, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • The Women’s Comprehensive Care Window offers psychological counseling, legal assistance, referral to shelters and specialized services for women facing violence, discrimination or abandonment.
    Alicia G Kerber Palma, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • The measure has proven durable because its benefits were tangible, and voters seldom surrender benefits.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 2 June 2025
  • The stock surrendered 45% of its market capitalization to close the month at $1.56 a share, making for a company value of $338 million.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Should the United States forsake Ukraine, Europe would suffer multiple misfortunes.
    Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2025
  • But in this case, unfortunately, Netflix quite deliberately forsook what was actually unique about the novel to produce a series resembling every other historical program now on offer — with a few more olive trees.
    Anthony Paletta, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • To save costs, modifications recommended for the Electra after the Hawaii crash—stronger radios, better direction-finding gear, upgrades to the emergency equipment—were scaled back or scrapped.
    Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
  • That drop was scrapped, but the Air Force 1 Low is now slated to release in the fall.
    Ian Servantes for Footwear News, Robb Report, 1 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abandon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abandon. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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