Vocabulary
Refrain
English and Urdu gloss, synonyms and antonyms, and example usage from our editorial sentence cache where available.
English meaning
stop oneself from doing something.
Urdu meaning
باز رہنا، روکنا، اجتناب
Example sentences (from Dawn)
Sentences are selected from stored editorial text where your search word appears. If none appear yet, run the admin sentence generator for fuller coverage.
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Meanwhile, even as the Arab Gulf reflects on whether the US security umbrella is a blessing or a curse in the long term, Iran should refrain from further attacks on targets in these states.
Dawn Editorials —
Missing in action
— 2026-03-17
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A COMMON refrain among critics and residents of other Punjab cities is that Lahore has been unduly pampered by successive provincial governments.
Dawn Editorials —
Managing Lahore`s balance sheet
— 2026-03-16
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EVERY few months, Pakistani officialdom and its associated stakeholders return to a familiar, comforting refrain: how Pakistan must `exit the IMF`.
Dawn Editorials —
Road to exiting IMF
— 2026-01-28
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If the US and other Western states are serious about resolving their differences with Iran, they must treat it with respect, and refrain from violating its sovereignty.
Dawn Editorials —
American `armada`
— 2026-01-25
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Users should refrain from posting in the group late at night and early in the morning unless it is absolutely necessary.Group admins should remain vigilant about what is being shared.
Dawn Editorials —
A new nuisance
— 2025-12-23
Synonyms
abstain, desist, hold back, stop oneself, withhold; forbear, forgo, do without,
Curator example
“she refrained from comment
More vocabulary to explore
About this vocabulary section.
These entries support close reading of Dawn editorials and opinion pieces: short definitions,
Urdu equivalents where we have them, word relations, and—when generated—real lines from the editorial archive
so you can see tone and usage.
Common questions
- Do I need to sign up to use this vocabulary page?
- No. Word pages are open to everyone. You can read meanings in English and Urdu, synonyms and antonyms, and example sentences without creating an account.
- Where do the example sentences come from?
- When available, example sentences are drawn from cached matches in our Dawn editorial corpus so you can see how a word is used in real newsroom-style prose.
- How is this different from a dictionary?
- This section is curated for students preparing for competitive exams and editorial reading. Entries are compact, often include Urdu glosses, and are paired with in-context lines from editorials when we have them.
