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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of abuse
Andrea Sachs The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
The sheriff’s office said in a news release last week that it had been contacted in April about allegations of fraud, animal abuse and animal cruelty at the rescue and that the case had been assigned to the Major Crimes Division.
—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
AJC.com,
18 June 2026
Uber’s campaign accused trial attorneys of unethically abusing their clients and attorneys said the company is attempting restructure longstanding civil justice laws to escape accountability for harm caused by its drivers.
—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
Last year, the driver was found not guilty of animal abuse.
—
Andrea Sachs The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
The sheriff’s office said in a news release last week that it had been contacted in April about allegations of fraud, animal abuse and animal cruelty at the rescue and that the case had been assigned to the Major Crimes Division.
—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
Verb
Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Sweepstakes or website, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void.
—
AJC.com,
18 June 2026
Uber’s campaign accused trial attorneys of unethically abusing their clients and attorneys said the company is attempting restructure longstanding civil justice laws to escape accountability for harm caused by its drivers.
—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
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According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs.
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Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
Noun
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The injuries and deaths are attributed to several factors, including fireworks misuse, malfunctions, unpredictable flight paths, tip-overs, and late ignitions.
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The risk increases further with agentic AI because the technology can move beyond assisting employees to acting on their behalf, which expands the likelihood of error, misuse, credential abuse, data leakage and unintended business disruption.
Verb
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This legislation helps our state meet current challenges and ensures bullying via AI is addressed in the school code.
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Muslim students continue to report the highest rates of bullying among religious groups in the country.
Verb
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He is accused of attacking a 27-year-old man with a beer mug inside the Hula Bar on Saturday night.
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Liv Morgan controversially interrupted Iyo Sky's coronation, attacking her and forcing a tap-out.
Verb
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Alysa Guffey Currently, data centers use industrial zoning and ask for exemptions to use the site for data centers.
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In court documents, O’Hara alleged the defendants violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, accusing them of unlawfully restricting free speech and initiating an unlawful seizure while using excessive force.
Noun
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The Supreme Court's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 160,000 Haitians in South Florida and hundreds of thousands more nationwide has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and raised concerns about the future of families in the region.
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The investigation also compliments previous claims that CCC’s regulations impede coastal infrastructure projects, which has drawn criticism from multiple political fronts over the last year.
Verb
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Wayne County prosecutors allege that on June 17, Montgomery tortured and burned a raccoon at a home in the 12000 block of Washburn Street in Detroit and posted a video on social media of the animal being burned alive.
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In fact, the disease has been torturing humans for at least 5,500 years, according to a study published today in the journal Nature .
Verb
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As officers came close, the tow truck slammed on its brakes, causing the squad car to collide with the rear of the truck, the source said.
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The fatal hit-and-run occurred less than two hours after a 13-year-old boy was killed riding on the back of a moped in Queens after his friend slammed into an open car door and then careened into a moving truck.
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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