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.

See Examples For:

refrained

While Kennedy has refrained from commenting on the current court or President Trump, he has written a memoir that tells his life story and explains the reasoning behind the major decisions of his era.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters chose not to preview or promote the speech in the two prime hours leading up to it, and Ingraham refrained from mentioning it on her Friday, Monday and Tuesday broadcasts.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch refrained from attacking the outgoing PM's record, instead praising him for his work on Ukraine and his friendship with the country's president Volodymyr Zelensky.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

But it has refrained from fresh attacks on Israeli or Saudi targets, as Tehran seems to calibrate its policy in the region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

It’s good I refrained from saying anything to the baker in Tarifa, thought the boy to himself.

From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho