Refrain from
Refrain from verb - To resist the temptation of.
To avoid and refrain from are semantically related. In some cases you can replace phrase "To avoid" with "Refrain from", this terms are similar.
To avoid
Refrain from and to avoid are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Refrain from" instead a verb phrase "To avoid".
Mutual synonyms
Both terms in one sentence
- By the same token, the villains refrain from targeting civilian identities and try to avoid killing superheroes.
Source: Enforced Cold War - They also strictly refrain from killing victims, although that's more to avoid trespassing on the Assassins' economic turf than for standards' sake with a certain amount of pragmatism in that if you kill someone while robbing them then you can't rob them again later.
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It can sometimes grow to the point that the villain will refrain from killing the hero in a "cheap" or dishonorable way, and even start to concoct bizarre excuses to avoid doing so entirely, spare his life, or even saving him.
Source: Friendly Enemy
Cite this Source
To avoid and Refrain from. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/refrain_from/to_avoid
Refrain from & To avoid. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/refrain_from/to_avoid>.
To avoid or Refrain from. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/refrain_from/to_avoid.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "refrain from" and "to avoid" have occurred on timeline