refrain

A common refrain among executives is that there are more news releases about agentic commerce than actual transactions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The judge ordered the companies to "refrain from initiating, pursuing, carrying out or having carried out any material actions" that would involve drilling, installing infrastructure or extracting hydrocarbons, according to a ruling seen by AFP.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

Greenlanders have repeated a refrain: Open for business, not for sale.

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026

One individual also came dressed as a courgette, a reference to Internet Girl's so-weird-it-almost-works refrain, "Eat zucchini".

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

“Aaargh, the good die young,” muttered Hagrid, slumping low onto the table, a little cross-eyed, while Slughorn continued to warble the refrain.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

It also correctly detects an estimated 94% of generic, or AI-generated, posts, which it refrains from distributing beyond the author’s immediate network, according to a spokeswoman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

“This proposal is decidedly neutral and refrains from saying that any asset class is any better or worse than other investment types.”

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

“This proposal is decidedly neutral and refrains from saying that any asset class is any better or worse than other investment types, as the law requires,” said U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026

If Iran refrains from violent crackdowns on protesters, there is a chance that anti-government protestors overthrow the government.

From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2026

If the song was being done properly, with both a man and a woman alternating the verses, the song was further complicated by the female’s counter harmony in the refrains.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

In a July 16 announcement, the FDA refrained from naming Taylor Farms because of legal restrictions around trade secrets, according to people familiar with the decision.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters chose not to preview or promote the speech in the two prime hours leading up to it, and Ingraham refrained from mentioning it on her Friday, Monday and Tuesday broadcasts.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch refrained from attacking the outgoing PM's record, instead praising him for his work on Ukraine and his friendship with the country's president Volodymyr Zelensky.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

“I, however, refrained from offering any projections of my own, consistent with my long-held views on the SEP, at least as currently structured.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

She had always refrained from criticizing the Dursleys in front of Harry, but her eyes flashed every time they were mentioned.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Experts expect details of future potential interest-rate hikes to be kept to a minimum, owing to Warsh’s preference for refraining from issuing guidance.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

"The parties must take urgent measures to protect civilians, including by refraining from the military use of civilian objects."

From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026

A spokesperson for the CHP said that, out of respect for Cano’s family and the integrity of the review process, the agency was refraining from comment until it had “thoroughly examined” the medical examiner’s report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

“The Americans said they want to raise the issue of de-escalation, with both sides demonstrating certain steps toward refraining from the use of long-range capabilities in order to create more space for diplomacy,” Zelensky said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

Imagine the difference to the sense, he says, if you place the comma after the word “not”: “My Son, if sinners intise thee consent thou not, refraining thy foot from their way.”

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author