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as in to deprive
to take something away from recurring problems could not abate her of her enthusiasm for the project

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word abate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of abate are ebb, subside, and wane. While all these words mean "to die down in force or intensity," abate stresses the idea of progressive diminishing.

the storm abated

Where would ebb be a reasonable alternative to abate?

The words ebb and abate can be used in similar contexts, but ebb suggests the receding of something (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes.

the ebbing of daylight

When is it sensible to use subside instead of abate?

Although the words subside and abate have much in common, subside implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation.

the protests subsided after a few days

In what contexts can wane take the place of abate?

The synonyms wane and abate are sometimes interchangeable, but wane suggests the fading or weakening of something good or impressive.

waning enthusiasm

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abate Is inflation really slowing down? After hitting a 40-year high of 9.1% in mid-2022, inflation has broadly abated but remained elevated recently. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024 Key Background After the July jobs report briefly sent a panic through Wall Street as unemployment unexpectedly spiked to 4.3%, triggering one recession indicator, concerns about the health of the labor market have abated in recent months. Derek Saul, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 Fighting in the northwest had largely abated since Turkey and Russia reached a de-escalation agreement in 2020. Suleiman Al-Khalidi, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024 Even as an economic slowdown dampens domestic consumer spending, China’s travel boom shows no signs of abating thanks to adventure-seeking millennials, says Jane Sun, 56, CEO of online travel bookings platform Trip.com. Yue Wang, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for abate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abate
Verb
  • Monthly inflation subsided in November after showing little improvement in recent months.
    Lucia Mutikani, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
  • With the help of psychologists, the symptoms, luckily, subsided.
    Katya Soldak, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The Perform Flare Legging is only $26 (previously $88), while the ReNew Fleece Oversized Crew is reduced to $29 from $98.
    Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2024
  • The federal government was more successful reducing homelessness among veterans in part because housing and mental health services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs were strategically paired with resources from HUD, experts told USA TODAY.
    Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Hungary has abolished income tax for mothers under the age of 30.
    Angela Saini, WIRED, 29 Dec. 2024
  • Billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump adviser who is leading an effort to curb bureaucracy, has called for abolishing the agency.
    Manya Saini, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The aerospace and defense firm on Tuesday took out the late October low and today subtracted another 4.95% from the price.
    John Navin, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Also, subtracting trade services left the PPI increase at just 0.1%.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Prosecutors argued Spencer often would strategically give or withhold drugs from his victims, deprive them of sleep and food and threaten them with firearms or extreme physical violence, such as strangling them.
    Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024
  • The current House Republican Farm Bill language would halt the progress that has been made, repeat the failures of the past, and deprive millions of struggling households of billions in food benefits.
    Molly Wasow Park, New York Daily News, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Narcotics Use Use of narcotics other than heroin (including Vicodin, OxyContin, and Percocet) among 12th graders decreased to an all-time low of 0.6 percent in 2024, down from a peak of 9.5 percent in 2004.
    Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
  • Key Facts Shares of Trump Media decreased to just over $33 as trading opened Friday, lowering the value of Trump’s stake from $4 billion on Thursday to just over $3.8 billion.
    Ty Roush, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • A number of labor unions across industries have been at the forefront of the years-long push to repeal WEP and GPO.
    Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 21 Dec. 2024
  • That included proposals to instead replace rather than fully repeal the Social Security provisions or to raise the retirement age to help offset the cost of the benefit increases.
    Lorie Konish, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Taxpayers cannot deduct mileage for their regular moving expenses under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
    Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Individual taxpayers may deduct qualified charitable contributions of up to 100% of their AGI, and corporations may deduct qualified contributions of up to 25% of their taxable income.
    David Rae, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near abate

Cite this Entry

“Abate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abate. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on abate

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