Contain and Refrain

Contain

Contain verb - To have within.

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Refrain and contain are semantically related in hold back topic. In some cases you can use "Refrain" instead a verb "Contain".

Nearby Words: container, containing, containment, containable

Refrain verb - Resist doing something.

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Contain and refrain are semantically related in hold back topic. Sometimes you can use "Contain" instead a verb "Refrain".

Nearby Words: refrained, refraining

As a result, the hymnals in the pews have only the refrain printed, while the song leader/choir versions contain the entire song.

Source: Chorus-Only Song
While there are other tropes wikis which may contain examples, refrain from bringing examples or 'tude back from those other places.

Source: Internet Backdraft
Erudite Stoner: The lyrics to "A Passage to Bangkok" describe a number of locations that at the time were associated with drug tourism and contain several not very subtle Double Entendres about marijuana use, although they refrain from explicitly naming any drugs.

Source: Music / 2112

Cite this Source

Refrain and Contain. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/contain/refrain

Contain & Refrain. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/contain/refrain>.

Refrain or Contain. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/contain/refrain.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "contain" and "refrain" have occurred on timeline