abstain
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:
Mayra Goulart, political science professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told AFP the main challenge for Lula and Flavio will be to reach "disengaged voters" who are highly likely to abstain.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Such “orphaned” voters — those left without a candidate of their party in a general election — are historically just as likely to abstain from voting or to vote based on far less strategic considerations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández issued a statement calling on Catholics around the world to abstain from attending Mass with the group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The Labour group is expected to abstain in the vote.
From BBC ● May 10, 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
![]()
Recently persuaded by her teen daughter, Mae, to join social media, Hahn abstains from reading the comments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2024
Their motion could be successful if at least one Labour Senedd member either rebels, abstains or does not take part.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2024
“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
"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
I wonder why Therese abstains from food, though she is not bound by the nun’s vows.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
![]()
Mediobanca—itself Assicurazioni Generali’s top shareholder—last year saw an offer for Banca Generali derailed by its own investors, who failed to approve the move after a top shareholder abstained from the vote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
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
Supervisors Kathryn Barger, Janice Hahn and Holly Mitchell abstained from voting on the motion to extend the protection, while Supervisors Hilda Solis and Horvath supported it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 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
Apparently the protections of the treaty were quite strong for those who totally abstained from magic and mischief.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
![]()
He received a long ovation after getting 132 votes, with no member voting against him and one abstaining, according to the session's presiding member Ismael Diallo.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
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
Senedd members voted to bring in the ban by 39 votes to 10, with two MSs abstaining.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
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
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 Top "SAT" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!