abstain
Example Sentences
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Mitchell said intraparty matchups in the past have shown 35% of orphaned voters or more simply abstain from voting in that race.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The diet is the brainchild of Dr. Sean O’Mara, who advises his high-profile patients to eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, alongside grass-fed steak—and to abstain from alcohol and sugary food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Whatever Evie’s goals, it’s unlikely the issue will lead its readers to actually abstain until marriage.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
The government holds a majority in the House of Commons, so a large number of Labour MPs would have to vote for an inquiry or abstain in order for one to be launched.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
Though I follow the rules and routines of convent life, Angelina will not allow me to abstain from meat, as the sisters do.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
“It’s hard. There aren’t enough places,” Archiopoli said, noting that Seattle has a growing segment of population that abstains from alcohol or drugs.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2023
If not, the foreign country abstains from submitting a formal re-export request, and no diplomatic harm is done.
From Reuters ● Jan. 23, 2023
Mr Omipidan, on the other hand, abstains from providing commentary on the stories he posts.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2020
As they say goodbye, Smith abstains from the fist bump that he and David have always shared.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2020
I don’t know if the hose were clean, but I do notice that everyone on the show abstains from drinking lemonade that day.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Norway's football federation abstained and argued the bidding process undermined "Fifa's reforms for good governance" and challenged "trust in Fifa".
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Nekhaila, who would have been the tiebreaking vote, abstained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
While they released the letter spelling out their dissent, the Fed clarified that Bowman had abstained from the vote.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
On 7 April, Pakistan abstained from a UN Security Council resolution urging states to coordinate efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
More than a third of the senators abstained from voting.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Most voters our columnist spoke with are following the new rule to watch everything, or abstaining from certain categories.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
Los Angeles’s city council passed the measure in November by a 12-2 vote, with one member abstaining.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
Could anyone really be blamed for wanting to avoid even more pain and heartbreak by abstaining from dating altogether?
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2025
Twelve voted against it, with seven in favour and one abstaining.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
Even when Ramadan arrived during the season and I had to play volleyball and fence while fasting from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from food and water, I still didn’t want to quit.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Vocabulary lists containing abstain
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
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