1
as in insult
harsh insulting language
hometown fans hurled abuse at the visiting team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misuse
incorrect or improper use
naturally the furniture had received a lot of abuse from the 10 kids in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bully
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
if you abuse your pet, he will always have an ugly disposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
a demanding, difficult patient who constantly abuses the nurses and aides
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
if you abuse your baseball bat by using it to hammer nails, don't expect it to last long
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
abused his parents' trust, pilfering small amounts from them that he hoped they wouldn't notice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abuse
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
Just two months in, 2025 has already been a deadly year for domestic violence at a time when shelters across the area are seeing victims who have suffered intense physical abuse.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
Nicole Acosta, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The club came under fire for hiring Abel, who left his job as Oregon’s head coach last fall, months after The Oregonian reported more than a dozen Ducks players had alleged Abel verbally abused them.
—Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
Trump fired 17 inspectors general, the watchdogs that scrutinize agencies for waste, fraud and abuse.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
Just two months in, 2025 has already been a deadly year for domestic violence at a time when shelters across the area are seeing victims who have suffered intense physical abuse.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
As part of her 10-page plea agreement, Franke admitted to abusing her two youngest children.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The club came under fire for hiring Abel, who left his job as Oregon’s head coach last fall, months after The Oregonian reported more than a dozen Ducks players had alleged Abel verbally abused them.
—Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
During a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Brazil in November 2023, Messi and Rodrygo exchanged insults.—
Felipe Cardenas,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
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The jury found that on Aug. 19, after Stanford revoked her access, Mangi logged into the study database and replaced patient medical data with erroneous information and insults about her former supervisor, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.—
Jason Green,
The Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Making the Connected Cameras feature widely available without the need for third-party apps will only make these forms of misuse.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Behavior changes: Substance misuse, overeating or undereating, nicotine use, excessive social media use, and gaming are common signs of stress.—
Ashley Olivine, Ph.D., MPH,
Verywell Health,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
For nothing is more European, at least in today’s Europe, than being bullied by Russia while complaining about the United States.—
Dominic Green,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Hal was always bullied by his slightly older twin brother, Bill.—
Brian Davids,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The case, which generated headlines around the world, comes amid rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.—
Sophia Tareen and Melissa Perez Winder,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
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Despite losing all three, there were significant improvements collectively and individually, with contributions from attacking starlets Nico Paz, who scored against Atalanta, and Diao, who got the equaliser against Juventus.—
David Ferrini,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The toilet used bacteria to convert human waste into water and gases.—
Amitava Kumar,
The New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2025
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In addition to this, using excessive water or harsh chemical cleaners can then lead to moisture accumulation around window seals, which can potentially cause mould growth or deterioration of the frame around the windows.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The chairwoman at the time, Cynthia Brumback, departed amid criticism of how the exhibition proceeded despite having received FBI queries into their provenance as early as July 2021.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
26 Feb. 2025
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Since then, Starmer has kept a tight lid on any criticism of the president from within his ranks.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Caro Quintero and others then allegedly sought revenge, kidnapping Salazar and torturing him, before killing him.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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Rami’s unhappy family splinters over love and politics; an opponent of both the monarchy and Saddam Hussein in the 1950s and 1960s, Rami is imprisoned and tortured, eventually escaping to gain asylum in France.—
Lisa Anderson,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, the voice resembling Smith Sr.’s goes silent for the remainder of the phone call, as Martinez continues to scold him for his actions.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
24 Feb. 2025
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Shakira storms off Miami nightclub stage after appearing to scold clubgoer for filming up her dress The title of the tour is taken from the singer's 12th studio album, released last year and the first since 2017's El Dorado.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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