refrain

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.

The surtitles intentionally refrain from translating much of what he says, leaving the audience to rely on his loony spoken tone and loony tunes to carry meaning.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

"Private individuals cannot demand that automobile manufacturers refrain from placing passenger cars with internal combustion engines on the market" ahead of European Union deadlines, it said.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

The refrain “I was just doing my job” wears thin awfully fast.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

A common refrain among investors is that the more stocks in a benchmark index hold above that level, the more bullish the market conditions are for investors.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 14, 2026

He then could not refrain from revealing how one of Cambridge’s great men had on occasion also forgotten his chemistry.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson