The best replacement for refrain is chorus.

The best alternatives to refrain are rated as following:
★★★★★  chorus
★★★★  restrain
★★  abstain
★★  reframe
★  refrain
★  avoid
  repress
  repetition
  verse

Your alternative for refrain is not listed? Suggest!
Speaking about refrain, one probably shouldn't forget about poetry.

Other search terms related to refrain and their ratings are:
★★★★★ poetry
You have in mind a companion for refrain and it is not yet here? Propose!



Google Trends

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of refrain in all years. Click on graph for more.
refrain
chorus
restrain