Abandon a lot of mates outside America (5)

I believe the answer is:

waive

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'abandon' is the definition.
(I know that waive is a more specific form of the action abandon)

I can't explain the remainder of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for waive that I've seen before include "pass up" , "Refrain from insisting on right or claim" , "Dispense with, forgo" , "Not insist on (claim)" , "Refrain from insisting on rights" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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