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refrained

VERB

do without; keep from doing

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abstain avoid cease curb desist forgo halt renounce resist restrain

STRONG

arrest check eschew forbear inhibit interrupt keep pass quit stop withhold

WEAK

be temperate give up go on the wagon leave off not do pass up sit out take the cure take the pledge

Antonyms

STRONGEST

carry on continue indulge keep on use

STRONG

aid allow assist encourage help let go release

WEAK

do go ahead jump in

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.

Investigating active government officials in Mexico is a new strategy for the United States, which in the past refrained from targeting sitting leaders in allied countries with criminal investigations because of the clear political ramifications.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

At an international conference in late May, Ueda refrained from giving any hints on the timing of the BOJ’s next move.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Although the budget documents note the potential for gains from SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI, each of which have a significant labor force in the state, the government refrained from estimating the impact.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Instead, there was virtual silence from Trump, who refrained from commenting on his Truth Social platform that he normally posts on multiple times a day, and from the White House.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Thus, he refrained from looking at his mother this time and was just happy that she had come.

From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka