as in insulting
marked by harsh insulting language
never one to believe that honorable people can disagree honorably, he invariably launches abusive attacks against anyone who dares to challenge him
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abusive
From messages from God to the warnings about abusive relationships, my gut has been a beacon trying to guide me.
—
Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Preempting a defense argument that Combs’ romantic partners could have said no to the freak-offs, or left Combs at any time in their relationship, Slavik relied on expert testimony that explained the dynamics of an abusive relationship.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 June 2025
In the YouTube description, Girl Named Tom encouraged fans who are in an abusive relationship to visit DomesticShelters.org for help in their area.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025
The memoir describes the fallout of Lacey’s divorce from her emotionally abusive husband.
—Diana Arterian
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Preempting a defense argument that Combs’ romantic partners could have said no to the freak-offs, or left Combs at any time in their relationship, Slavik relied on expert testimony that explained the dynamics of an abusive relationship.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 June 2025
In the YouTube description, Girl Named Tom encouraged fans who are in an abusive relationship to visit DomesticShelters.org for help in their area.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025
The memoir describes the fallout of Lacey’s divorce from her emotionally abusive husband.
—Diana Arterian
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive
Adjective
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Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni is insulting because a macaroni was a pejorative term used to describe a fashionable man with feminine traits of 18th-century Britain.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
2 July 2025
-
Conversations revealed an ongoing dialogue that was not only deeply insulting to Read, but morally offensive to women broadly.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
But those first two seasons are really timeless — thrilling, ambitious, outrageous to this day.—
Los Angeles Times Staff,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2025
-
In the midst of the investigation, Mayo launched an outrageous attack on Pryor’s credibility and released part of her personnel file from her 26-year career in Fort Lauderdale to question why Moore hired her.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, the Astors, who had amassed a nearly obscene amount of real estate in New York City, became the country’s first multimillionaires by smuggling opium.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
3 July 2025
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The use of obscene or profane language, personal attack, libel, slander, defamation, physical violence or the threat thereof, as determined by the presiding officer, shall constitute a disturbing a lawful meeting.—
Sharon Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Williams also played behind a worse offensive line, as evidenced by his 68 sacks taken to Love's 14.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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While the videos are offensive, and there’s nothing to be said in defense of using such language, some have called the backlash counterproductive, especially considering the show’s history of bullying behavior by fans.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
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Deepfakes have been growing more sophisticated in recent years, in addition to being increasingly deployed for malicious purposes.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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On Wednesday, the President faced a barrage of ominous developments that might have fazed another leader—a worrisome jobs report, losses in federal court related to four of his signature policies, an increasingly vituperative public breakup with Elon Musk.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
5 June 2025
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Even before Trump took office, many scientists were reluctant to engage with the topic, for fear of being drawn into what has been a very public and vituperative debate.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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The justices who renounced that lie in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center exposed themselves to scurrilous criticisms and even threats to their safety.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
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The good people of Lancaster County were innocent of the charges thrown at them by raving Southerners and scurrilous Democrats.—
Matthew Karp,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The explosion of sports betting might not be the reason for the increase in personal invective being spewed at games.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
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Between the time the former Marine Soto was indicted in 2018 and sentenced in 2020, then-President Donald Trump offered up vitriolic invective to Mexican officials.—
Sean Campbell,
The Conversation,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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