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
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
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
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
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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The lockstep support the Clintons enjoyed among congressional Democrats has eroded as a new generation of lawmakers has taken office -- nine Democrats joined with Republicans on the House committee to advance the contempt resolution.—
STEVEN SLOAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
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More crucially for the island's future is that Cuba’s private sector has also relentlessly eroded the control that Cuba’s military conglomerate GAESA holds over the country’s economy.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And for Paramount, losing an expensive late-night comedian and irritating a few TV personalities may ultimately be the cost of doing business in a world where the biggest transactions could hinge on the feelings of a mercurial and demanding world leader.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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If something irritates you, the Aries moon encourages you to speak up.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For much of the last decade, Mustaine has experienced significant discomfort since the cartilage in the tips of his fingers has worn away from decades of frenzied playing, causing the bones to scrape together.—
Jon Wiederhorn,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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There are 618 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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From that video, investigators were able to identify the man was wearing an Ozark backpack, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, but are still trying to identify other items and where they might have been purchased.—
Randi Kaye,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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This is because people are wearing hats all the time—sometimes wearing one to bed.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Samaniego scratched Tyler Samaniego was due to make his Red Sox debut Saturday, but was scratched due to back tightness.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
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In a season filled with head-scratching moments in late-game situations, the Rockets may have suffered their biggest collapse yet in a 108-106 defeat to the Knicks on Saturday.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Relations in the mobile home started to fray.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Instead of shorter threads that can fray over time, this fabric is made of extra-long staple cotton sateen for an ultra-soft and durable feel.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrade. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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