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GRE vocabulary

abate

verbHigh-frequency wordMore A words

to lessen in intensity or amount

Word origin: From Old French abattre, to beat down.

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In a sentence

Abate in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing abate in a sentence.

The protests abated once the new policy was announced.

The new regulations did little to abate public concern about water quality.

Synonyms
subsidediminishwane
Antonyms
intensifyescalate

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Question 1 of 3

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Verbal · Text Completion

The novelist's late style is admired precisely for its blank: every superfluous phrase has been pared away, leaving prose of startling economy.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “abate” well

Abate is used when something undesirable, such as a storm, pain, noise, or fear, lessens in force. It works both transitively (to abate a nuisance) and intransitively (the wind abated).

Keep going

More GRE words starting with A

abase

to lower in rank, dignity, or self-respect

abash

to make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed

abdicate

to formally give up power or responsibility

aberrant

departing from what is normal or expected

aberration

a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected

abeyance

a state of temporary suspension or inactivity

abhor

to regard with strong disgust or hatred

abject

utterly hopeless, humiliated, or servile in condition or spirit

Common questions

Questions about “abate”

Abate (verb) means to lessen in intensity or amount
Here is abate used in an example sentence: "The protests abated once the new policy was announced." Another example: "The new regulations did little to abate public concern about water quality."
Common synonyms for abate include subside, diminish, wane.
Antonyms of abate include intensify, escalate.
On the GRE, abate clusters with subside, wane, and ebb in Sentence Equivalence. Watch for the trap word unabated, which means continuing without any lessening.
Yes. Abate is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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