1
as in to erode
to damage or diminish by continued friction
ropes abraded by the rocks were a huge danger to the climbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abrade
Robotic hands: Mounted on the rover’s robotic arm are tools for blowing dust aside and abrading rock surfaces.
—
Ari Koeppel, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2025
My shoes abrade my feet and my shirt is stuck to my back.
—Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Compared to its predecessors, Perseverance uses an advanced abrading bit and gaseous Dust Removal Tool, or gDRT, which applies five puffs of nitrogen to clear samples in a way that poses less risk of contamination.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 30 June 2025
For example, the prior version’s straps abraded the skin around his knee, but redistributing the weight through abdominal and thigh straps fixed the problem.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2015
See All Example Sentences for abrade
Ari Koeppel, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2025
My shoes abrade my feet and my shirt is stuck to my back.
—Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Compared to its predecessors, Perseverance uses an advanced abrading bit and gaseous Dust Removal Tool, or gDRT, which applies five puffs of nitrogen to clear samples in a way that poses less risk of contamination.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 30 June 2025
For example, the prior version’s straps abraded the skin around his knee, but redistributing the weight through abdominal and thigh straps fixed the problem.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2015
See All Example Sentences for abrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrade
Verb
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Heidi was pioneering how reality TV could turn old news into melodrama, eroding any distance between entertainment and fact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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Billions in valuation have eroded since last summer’s peak, even as the new pilot program offers a faster route to limited operations.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since many pregnant and postpartum women either struggle with or are recovering from a weak immune system, even germs from sources as innocuous as a bidet can prove irritating.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
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What’s more, the leaves contain oils that, when burned, irritate our airways.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The e-commerce giant sued Perplexity late last year, alleging the startup was concealing its AI agents that were scraping Amazon’s site.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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MAKfam, a Chinese restaurant with a Michelin nod for its value, faced a tough first-round opponent, The Empress Seafood, and scraped out a win.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Richins, wearing a white blouse with pale blue and peach-colored flowers on it, looked down and began breathing heavily when the verdict was announced.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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Police and David’s family say that David, a sophomore at Sequoia High in Redwood City, had no gang ties and was wearing the jacket to celebrate Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend, who wore a pink hoodie that night.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After going down two goals, the Galaxy scratched back on an 82nd-minute goal by Marco Reus.—
Damian Calhoun,
Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
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The 23-year-old middle infielder was due to start at second base but was scratched with left knee soreness.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Friendships fraying, puberty unevenly invading our bodies in ways both private and horrifically public.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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However, the bedding itself has held up well without any fraying threads or color fading.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrade. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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