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 committee would visit the patient's bedside to put that member under considerable pressure to abstain from blood in all cases," Evans said.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
The couple had made few friends during their time in the state, making it easier to abstain from the life of town.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
He clarified that this could mean that the party abstains on any vote for the next first minister after the 2026 Holyrood election.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2025
"But the truth is we know relatively little from this 50%, from this half of the population that abstains from electoral processes."
From Reuters ● Sep. 2, 2022
Like Trump, the former vice president has pointed to alcoholism in his family in explaining why he abstains.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 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 wonder why Therese abstains from food, though she is not bound by the nun’s vows.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
As an MP in 2015, Burnham abstained on another effort to legalise assisted dying.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 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
Twenty six councillors voted for the motion and 27 against, while two councillors abstained from voting.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstained from the vote, arguing the county could not address the death rate without building a new facility.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
Apparently the protections of the treaty were quite strong for those who totally abstained from magic and mischief.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
In 2020, Milan Township passed an ordinance that would allow the project to go forward, with Heath’s brother, the township supervisor, abstaining.
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026
Members of the Senedd voted on Tuesday 39 to 10 to bring in the ban, with two MSs abstaining.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
A vote in October failed to pass by a 25-24 margin with six guides abstaining.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
There were 13 votes in favour of the text and none against, with Russia and China both abstaining but not deploying their veto as permanent members.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 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
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
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