1
as in bullying
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
if you abuse your pet, he will always have an ugly disposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacking
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 misusing
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 exploiting
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusing
Verb
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Instead, there was a fast, tough, physical team flying around and making big-time plays, bullying the big-boy Tar Heels.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
30 Dec. 2024 -
LeBron James scored 32 points one game after setting the NBA’s all-time minutes record for regular-season games, bullying the Kings on the offensive end while grabbing four steals on the defensive end.—
Dan Woike,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities recently launched a campaign attacking the governor for allowing the state’s overreliance on property taxes to worsen and for seeking to slash summer work programs that assist the state’s troubled youths.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2025
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The early glimpses show a player with real potential in the attacking third, capable of thriving in transition and striking well at goal.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The New York Times Magazine published a critique yesterday of two documentaries that have recently been released about the use of child influencers, raising the potential that the projects may potentially be re-exploiting them.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2025
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Where United can hurt Lyon is by exploiting their defensive instability.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hundreds of drones being used as part of a Saturday night aerial light show in Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando appeared to be flying into position before several started falling from the sky before slamming to the ground, according to videos posted online.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
23 Dec. 2024
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His endorsement of the AfD came alongside a video of a far-right German commentator slamming the leading candidate to become Germany’s next chancellor, the conservative Friedrich Merz.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Anglerfish ancestors lived on the seafloor and maneuvered around using specialized stout fins, much like their close relatives the batfishes and frogfishes.—
Danielle Hall,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Dec. 2024
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At the core of the company’s operation is the aim of developing the technological skills of all sorts of large organizations using AI.—
Roger Trapp,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Even in districts that have staff dedicated to teaching Black history, some teachers are afraid of violating state law, according to Brian Knowles, who oversees African American, Holocaust and Latino studies for the Palm Beach County school district.—
Kate Payne,
Orlando Sentinel,
23 Dec. 2024
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That year, the campaign finance regulator separately found that Wyss’s groups failed to provide evidence of certain grant agreements upon conservatives accusing him of violating laws on foreign nationals making donations.—
Gabe Kaminsky,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
22 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Just as manipulating actuality is the soul of cinema, playing with subjectivity is the soul of AI as an artistic medium.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
8 Apr. 2025
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Biohacking sales isn’t about manipulating people.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Authorities accused an Arlington Heights man of hitting and injuring a Chicago Police officer while driving under the influence Sunday on the West side, according to a news release.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2025
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They two men are also charged with injuring another person, according to Patch.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Abusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusing. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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