| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abandon, reject |
| Synonyms: | abdicate, abjure, abnegate, abstain from, apostacize, arrogate, cast off, decline, defect, demit, deny, desert, disavow, discard, disclaim, disown, divorce oneself from, drop out, dump*, eschew, forgo, forsake, forswear, give up, leave flat, leave off, opt out, quit, rat, recant, relinquish, repudiate, resign, sell out, spurn, swear off, take the pledge, tergiversate, tergiverse, throw off, throw over, toss over, turn, waive, walk out on, wash hands of |
| Notes: | renounce often equals abjure but may carry the meaning of disclaim or disown and may imply a sacrifice for a greater end |
| Antonyms: | allow, approve, condone |
| Main Entry: | abdicate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give up a right, position, or power |
| Synonyms: | abandon, abjure, abnegate, bag it, bail out, cede, demit, drop, forgo, give up, leave, leave high and dry, leave holding the bag, leave in the lurch, opt out, quit, quitclaim, relinquish, renounce, resign, retire, sell out, step down, surrender, vacate, waive, withdraw, yield |
| Antonyms: | assert, assume, challenge, claim, defend, defy, hold, maintain, remain, retain, treasure, usurp |
| Main Entry: | abjure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give up |
| Synonyms: | abstain from, forswear, recant, renege, renounce, retract, take back, withdraw |
| Notes: | abjure is 'swear off' or 'swear away' and adjure is 'command earnestly'; abjure implies a firm and final rejecting or abandoning often made under oath renounce often equals abjure but may carry the meaning of disclaim or disown and may imply a sacrifice for a greater end |
| Main Entry: | abstain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hold back from doing |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abnegate, avoid, cease, constrain, curb, decline, deny oneself, do without, eschew, evade, fast, fence-sit, forbear, forgo, give the go by, give up, go on the wagon, keep from, pass, pass up, quit, refrain, refuse, renounce, shun, sit on one's hands, sit on the fence, sit out, spurn, starve, stop, take the cure, take the pledge, withhold |
| Antonyms: | indulge, use |
| Main Entry: | break with |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | part ways |
| Synonyms: | ditch, drop, jilt, reject, renounce, separate |
| Main Entry: | cede |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abandon, surrender |
| Synonyms: | abalienate, abdicate, accord, alien, alienate, allow, capitulate, come across with, communicate, concede, convey, deed, drop, fold*, fork over, give in*, give up, grant, hand over*, leave, make over, part with, relinquish, remise, renounce, resign, sign over, throw in the sponge, throw in the towel, transfer, vouchsafe, waive, yield |
| Notes: | cede means to give over, surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another - while a seed is a small hard fruit or a mature fertilized plant ovule consisting of an embryo and its food source and having a protective coat |
| Antonyms: | defend, fight, gain, guard, take over, win |
| Main Entry: | chuck |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | throw aside, throw away, throw out |
| Synonyms: | abandon, can, cast, desert, discard, ditch, eighty-six, eject, fire, fling, flip, forsake, give the heave ho, heave, hurl, jettison, junk, launch, pitch, quit, reject, relinquish, renounce, scrap, shed, shy, sling, slough, toss |
| Antonyms: | keep |
| Main Entry: | cop out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abandon, quit |
| Synonyms: | back down, back off, back out, backpedal, desert, dodge, excuse, give the slip, have alibi, rationalize, renege, renounce, revoke, skip, use pretext, welsh, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | be ready, face, ready, take on |
| Main Entry: | cut off |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | prevent; interrupt |
| Synonyms: | block, break in, bring to end, catch, close off, disconnect, discontinue, halt, insulate, intercept, intersect, intervene, intrude, isolate, obstruct, renounce, segregate, separate, sequester, suspend |
| Antonyms: | allow, encourage, permit |