1
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the belief that violent entertainment abets violent behavior in the people who partake of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to aid
to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end
car thieves are often unwittingly abetted by owners foolishly leaving the keys in the ignition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abet
In October, prosecutors charged Ong for abetting ex-transport minister S. Iswaran over two flights, a night’s stay at the Four Seasons hotel in Doha, along with Formula-1 tickets.
—
Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Related article California city criminalizes ‘aiding’ and ‘abetting’ homeless camps
One-third of them were in families of at least one adult and one child, the annual survey found, as the number of families with kids experiencing homelessness rose by 39%.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025
Feeling somehow responsible, Wendy tries to abet the police search with her own investigating.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
The result plays well moment-to-moment, much abetted by Nate Hurtsellers’ somberly handsome cinematography, plus a diverse, expressive original score from Macie Stewart and Quinn Tsan.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abet
Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Related article California city criminalizes ‘aiding’ and ‘abetting’ homeless camps
One-third of them were in families of at least one adult and one child, the annual survey found, as the number of families with kids experiencing homelessness rose by 39%.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025
Feeling somehow responsible, Wendy tries to abet the police search with her own investigating.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
The result plays well moment-to-moment, much abetted by Nate Hurtsellers’ somberly handsome cinematography, plus a diverse, expressive original score from Macie Stewart and Quinn Tsan.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abet
Verb
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Brit, still processing, clocks that Kenya was angling for a full-on meltdown, trying to provoke her into playing the aggressor.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
14 Apr. 2025
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Tariffs essentially act as an indirect tax on consumers, provoke retaliatory measures, drive inflation higher, and destabilize financial markets.—
Christian Catalini,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The investigation was aided by a confidential informant — one of Gonzalez’s former friends who got busted, according to court records.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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In the wake of that visit, Van Hollen pressed for improved access for humanitarian organizations trying to aid Palestinians.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Infielder David Villar was promoted from Triple-A Sacramento to take his place.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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This independence is intended to allow the Fed to focus on its dual mandate: promoting maximum employment and maintaining stable prices.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Aleksander Barkov assists on both Reinhart goals to increase his total to 51 on the season.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2025
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Doctor Who historians know Marsh for her portrayal of Sara Kingdom, who ably assists William Hartnell’s Doctor in his fight against the mutant Daleks, on the third season of the BBC sci-fi series in 1965-66.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The goal of the tax subsidies was to encourage more Americans to save for retirement.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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This is achieved through proper irrigation, mowing, and fertilization to encourage healthy plant development.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Please help show my baby that other badass women are out there!—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2025
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For example, whenever one of the kids had a spelling bee, everyone in the car would help recite the words.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abet. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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