1
as in to erode
to damage or diminish by continued friction
ropes abraded by the rocks were a huge danger to the climbers
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2
3
as in to scrape
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface
the yacht's once-flawless wooden hull had been badly abraded by years of rough dockings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abrade
The cinematography, by Christopher Messina, feels as abraded as Linda’s psyche.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2025
If used, stakes should not abrade or constrict the trunk and should be fully removed after six to twelve months.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
After the fall of Hosni Mubarak, ordinary Egyptians brought paint cans from home to Tahrir Square, to re-mark the curbs that had been flaked from years of government neglect, and abraded by tanks and flying bricks during the protests.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
Toshiba and Hitachi have designed robots that use jets of high-pressure water and dry ice to abrade the surfaces of walls and floors; the robots will scour away radioactive materials along with top layers of paint or concrete and vacuum up the resulting sludge.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2014
See All Example Sentences for abrade
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2025
If used, stakes should not abrade or constrict the trunk and should be fully removed after six to twelve months.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
After the fall of Hosni Mubarak, ordinary Egyptians brought paint cans from home to Tahrir Square, to re-mark the curbs that had been flaked from years of government neglect, and abraded by tanks and flying bricks during the protests.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
Toshiba and Hitachi have designed robots that use jets of high-pressure water and dry ice to abrade the surfaces of walls and floors; the robots will scour away radioactive materials along with top layers of paint or concrete and vacuum up the resulting sludge.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2014
See All Example Sentences for abrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrade
Verb
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Chinese policymakers have intensified efforts aimed at reining in excessive price cuts that have eroded corporate profits while doing little to spur demand.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Higher prices risk eroding consumers’ purchasing power, and for those living paycheck to paycheck this can be quite painful.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Think flying in spring water to a Caribbean island because a female client thought the local water irritated her scalp.—
Louis J. Esterhazy,
Footwear News,
7 Sep. 2025
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However, Agnes is dressed exactly like Wednesday and her Single White Female act is irritating the hell out of her hero.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Beat in vanilla and 1 of the eggs until smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
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Although some of this base layer was likely ejected as well, Desch and his colleague Alan Jackson, also of Arizona State University, used simulations to determine that most of the material scraped from the baby Plutos was nitrogen.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The photo released shows what appears to be a man wearing a largely black outfit with an American flag on his shirt, a black cap, and black sunglasses.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Posing next to Colman Domingo and Salma Hayek Pinault (who wore an elegant black Balenciaga suit dress), Moore’s glitzy look shone.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The cats kept them up each night with their incessant whining and scratching at their doors.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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What itch does that scratch that the rest of this doesn’t?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What was once envisioned as a vital partnership of the 21st century is fraying—and becoming another source of uncertainty in a world order that seems to be unraveling.—
Vaibhav Vats,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
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Ethiopia to inaugurate Africa’s largest dam, despite opposition Ethiopia will tomorrow inaugurate Africa’s largest dam, a major source of electricity and national pride for the country, but which threatens to fray ties with nations downstream.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrade. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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