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.

“Arbitrators aren’t elected, they’re not required to weigh countywide trade-offs like homeless services, healthcare, capital improvements, all of those things,” said Supervisor Holly Mitchell, the only supervisor to abstain from the vote.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

Coffee wasn’t a choice: Tanner is Mormon, and adherents traditionally abstain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

The basics of a no-spend—or low-spend, depending on your personal definition—challenge are just that: for a predetermined period of time, you abstain from nonessential purchases.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

"Almost no one is interested in this election. But some are worried they may face trouble if they abstain," said the Myitkyina resident, 33, speaking anonymously for security reasons.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

I told him that I intended to abstain while in exile.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin