What really undermines the conversation is twisting the meaning of words, saying what you (supposedly) don’t really mean, and then blaming people for interpreting them correctly.

Here are more examples:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/how-i-beca...

https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2021/02/12/We-Actually-Mean-Aboli...

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/the-abolition-mov...

Again, if you're actively searching for abolitionists, you can find them, but the vast majority of the use of the term, from a count of the first 20 articles on any search engine of "What does defund the police mean," means reduce funding.

And, indeed, your first article actually uses the term exactly as we're using it.

While the author is arguing for abolition, and the first and only time she uses the word "defund" it is to say

> Defunding the police is one step on a broad stairway toward abolition. Cities can reduce the size and scope of police...

Likewise using that pejorative.