as in neglect
lack of use
since the car has experienced years of disuse, starting it up won't be easy
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Recent Examples of disuse
And does a particular level of disuse have to be reached for a word to be dropped into the lexical dustbin?
—
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The term fell largely into disuse with the Axis powers’ defeat in 1945.
—Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
As the demand for Ghana’s goods decreased, so did the need for the industrial railway line, leading to its disuse.
—Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
The Dissolution Of Neural Manifolds Our minds work like muscles, growing stronger through resistance and weaker through disuse.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disuse
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The term fell largely into disuse with the Axis powers’ defeat in 1945.
—Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
As the demand for Ghana’s goods decreased, so did the need for the industrial railway line, leading to its disuse.
—Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
The Dissolution Of Neural Manifolds Our minds work like muscles, growing stronger through resistance and weaker through disuse.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disuse
Noun
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People with serious mental illness continue to suffer in jails repeatedly criticized for violence, neglect, isolation, staffing shortages, and inadequate mental health care.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
-
Practically overnight, Sylvia’s cozy attitude toward the girl hardens into coolness, impatience and neglect.—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The org has spent more than a decade fighting against the abandonment of movie theatres in the city and their conversion into hotels, hospitality developments and shopping centers.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
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The criteria include frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, having unstable relationships, identity disturbance, impulsive behavior, chronic feelings of emptiness, intense anger, emotional instability, paranoia or dissociation under stress, and recurrent suicidal behavior or self-harm.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Scientists found that a protein called NOX4 naturally declines with age and inactivity.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Sitting Too Much Higgins said physical inactivity contributes to weight gain, nervous system activation, and poorer blood vessel health, which can increase blood pressure.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disuse. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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