Abstaining
Decline and abstaining are semantically related. in hold back from doing topic. In some cases you can use "Decline" instead a verb "Abstaining".
Decline
Decline verb - To show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to.
Abstaining and decline are semantically related. Sometimes you can replace term "Abstaining" with "Decline", this verbs are similar.
Cite this Source
Decline and Abstaining. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/abstaining/decline
Abstaining & Decline. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/abstaining/decline>.
Decline or Abstaining. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/abstaining/decline.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "abstaining" and "decline" have occurred on timeline