Abate (Verb)

Sentence with Context:

As the protests escalated last year, the Chinese propaganda organs on the mainland resorted to shaping the narrative in nationalistic terms: Hong Kong demonstrators were “traitors to the motherland” with foreign backing, they said, sparking an animosity so strong that the sides took to calling each other “cockroaches” (for the protesters) and “dogs” (for mainland Chinese). That antagonism certainly hasn’t abated in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Meaning: (of something unpleasant or severe) become less intense or widespread

Synonyms

Subside, Diminish, Lessen, Recede, Dwindle, Wane, Ebb

Antonyms

Intensify, Escalate, Boost, Increase, Sharpen, Raise

Mnemonic (Memory Aid): How To Remember?

“Abate” rhymes with “Rebate“. When we get a rebate in taxes or in a supermarket, our cash outgo reduces. Similarly, when a crisis abates, our risks reduce.

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