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.
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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
Whatever Evie’s goals, it’s unlikely the issue will lead its readers to actually abstain until marriage.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
Basoo said there had been no change to its "core position that Jehovah's Witnesses abstain from blood".
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
It was to protect worshippers that Israel had asked people of all faiths to "temporarily abstain" from worshipping at all the holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City, he added.
From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 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
“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
If not, the foreign country abstains from submitting a formal re-export request, and no diplomatic harm is done.
From Reuters ● Jan. 23, 2023
Mr Omipidan, on the other hand, abstains from providing commentary on the stories he posts.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2020
I don’t know if the hose were clean, but I do notice that everyone on the show abstains from drinking lemonade that day.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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
Eleven states voted in favor, from Greece to Panama, while mediator Pakistan and leftist-led Colombia abstained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
The resolution was adopted by 123 votes to three, while 52 countries abstained, including the United Kingdom and EU member states.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
Apparently the protections of the treaty were quite strong for those who totally abstained from magic and mischief.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
In his view, they can "bring young people back to politics", especially those particularly prone to abstaining from voting.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
Could anyone really be blamed for wanting to avoid even more pain and heartbreak by abstaining from dating altogether?
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2025
The motion passed 4-0, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstaining.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025
Twelve voted against it, with seven in favour and one abstaining.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
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
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