had aborted

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had aborted" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts discussing the termination of a process, project, or pregnancy, often in a past perfect tense scenario. Example: "By the time the team realized the project was unfeasible, they had aborted their initial plans."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Women who had abortions weren't criminally punished, but instead given penance of different magnitudes depending on whether they had aborted an "unanimated" fetus, which was considered the lesser sin of "anticipated homicide" (also applicable to using contraceptives), or had a late abortion, which was considered a homicide.

Vice

This lack of knowledge regarding disease transmission resulted in high-risk practices being widespread practices such as assisting parturition without protective measures, throwing aborted material into water canals and a reluctance to remove animals that had aborted from the flock.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

But little did I know, you had aborted me in your mind.

The New York Times

Emma's twin had aborted a month earlier, but Emma held on to twenty-eight weeks' gestation.

The New Yorker

French police suspected Abdeslam had aborted plans to become a suicide attacker long before his capture.

The Guardian

Even though Antley had aborted another comeback in March, he seemed happy.

The New York Times - Sports

Badawi later claimed that Nasser had "aborted Egypt's liberal experiment, which could well have developed into full democracy".

The Guardian

I woke up a few hours later to the news that the A.U.V. had aborted at midnight.

The New York Times - Magazine

A total of 24 of the 50 affected members (47%) and 18 of the 284 unaffected members (6%) had aborted sudden death.

The American Journal of Cardiology

A local helicopter pilot, who had aborted a medevac mission that morning, remembered the weather being "very, very dark overcast".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

Reasons for exclusion were that cows were dried off early, wrongly vaccinated or not vaccinated, culled or died, forgotten, and dried off before slaughter, or had missing data on vaccination date, could not be caught on pasture, were not pregnant/had aborted, and calved earlier than planned.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had aborted" to clearly indicate that an action, plan, or process was intentionally stopped before completion. Ensure the context makes it clear why the action was aborted, whether due to safety concerns, lack of resources, or a change in strategy.

Common error

Avoid confusing "abort" with similar-sounding words like "adopt" or "absorb". "Abort" specifically means to terminate something intentionally. Use it precisely to prevent misinterpretations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had aborted" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense, indicating the completion of an action (abortion or termination) before a specific point in the past. As shown by Ludwig, it's commonly used across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Science

37%

Wiki

2%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had aborted" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense, indicating that an action or process was intentionally terminated before a specific time in the past. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used. It appears most frequently in News & Media and Science contexts. While generally neutral in register, its use can become more formal depending on the subject matter. Common alternatives include "had terminated" and "had cancelled". It is important to use it precisely to prevent misinterpretations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had terminated

Replaces 'aborted' with a more formal term for ending something.

had cancelled

Indicates that something was called off before completion.

had called off

Similar to 'cancelled', but slightly more informal.

had halted

Emphasizes a sudden stop or pause in progress.

had ceased

A more formal way to say 'stopped'.

had discontinued

Implies stopping something permanently.

had abandoned

Suggests giving up on something, often due to difficulty.

had failed to complete

Highlights the lack of completion of a task or process.

had scrubbed

An informal term, often used in technical contexts to mean cancelled.

had backed out of

Indicates withdrawing from a commitment or plan.

FAQs

How is "had aborted" used in a sentence?

"Had aborted" indicates that an action or process was terminated before completion. For example, "The mission "had aborted" due to technical difficulties."

What are some alternatives to "had aborted"?

Alternatives include "had terminated", "had cancelled", or "had halted", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to use "had aborted" in formal writing?

Yes, "had aborted" is acceptable in formal writing, especially when describing the intentional termination of a process or project. However, consider using a more formal alternative like "had terminated" if the context requires it.

What is the difference between "had aborted" and "had abandoned"?

"Had aborted" implies a deliberate and often strategic decision to stop something, while "had abandoned" suggests giving up due to difficulty or lack of resources. The former is more intentional and controlled.