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Definitions

abort

[uh-bawrt] / əˈbɔrt /


VERB
terminate or fail to complete pregnancy
Synonyms
STRONGEST
Antonyms
WEAK
carry to term continue keep


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It also apparently has some weird all-knowing knowledge, because it warns its clueless mom about all the evil characters conspiring to abort the baby.

From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2026

She decided to abort, saying in a 2023 interview: "In my life, I have had many kinds of courage but not the courage to become a mother."

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Hamilton made a mistake on his first run in Q3, locking a brake at Turn Three, and had to abort the lap.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

“Would an autonomous drone abort a mission on its own, for example if a child enters the target area?” she asked.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

He has finally upgraded from a hint to a crew obligation: he wants to abort the landing.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

A second attempt begins at 11:17 p.m., but the crew aborts and declares an emergency when flight attendants report feeling sick due to an unexplained smell permeating the cabin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

At the same time, the plant aborts nearly all fruits that contain larvae, which helps limit the plant's resource investment.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2026

A “go-around” refers to when an aircraft aborts a landing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2023

At the end of "Thalidomide," Plath writes, "The glass cracks across, / The image / Flees and aborts like dropped mercury."

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2022

The Weschcke produces no pollen, being one of those curious freaks of nature which aborts its staminate flowers before they reach maturity.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Report Wooster, Ohio, September 3, 4, 5, 1946 by Northern Nut Growers Association

“Your Mother” came together after Tariq and Ali failed to get a “Blade” reboot green-lighted, with Ali utilizing his martial-arts training from that aborted Marvel project.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

A United Airlines crew twice aborted their takeoff, and then declared an emergency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Earlier this month, European football's governing body said that despite Infantino's plan being aborted following widespread condemnation, the conditions required to prevent a boycott had "not been met".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Infantino has been under increasing scrutiny since his aborted attempt to sell off a 21% stake in Fifa's commercial operations to a private investment company.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Madan Khatri Chhetri of the Nepalese army, the olive-drab B2 Squirrel helicopter—stripped of all unnecessary fuel and equipment—made two passes, but on each occasion aborted at the last moment.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

He lost a bid for San Diego mayor in 2012, and two tries for Congress, and also twice pursued a voter ID ballot measure before aborting the efforts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

Such is her agony at the memory of aborting their baby that she relies on her diary entries from the time to carry the weight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

There has been no confirmation of those conversations from the Kremlin or Mr. Prigozhin, who has largely been silent since aborting his revolt, and whose current location is uncertain.

From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2023

“Aborting takeoff, aborting takeoff,” the United pilot responded.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 14, 2023

A familiar example is the role of those two diseases in aborting the French effort, and nearly aborting the ultimately successful American effort, to construct the Panama Canal.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond


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