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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
European carmakers are losing their premium brand status in China, as younger consumers opt for cars from domestic brands, further eroding Western firms’ prospects in a cutthroat global market.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In a market as mobile as high-end real estate, even modest shifts can erode the tax base.—
Martha E. Stark,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That gas can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
-
But all the soundbites — the quick, random noises that seem to irritate fans the most — don’t always get noticed by players.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There are a lot of issues the front office and coaching staff need to address to make that happen, of course, but the Sharks had to start somewhere, and another year scraping the bottom of the NHL barrel was not going to be acceptable.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Transfer the warm lentils to a food processor with the remaining garlic, cumin and 3/4 teaspoon salt, and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about 3 minutes.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two men carried an effigy of Maduro, his eyes blood-red, and his teeth vampiric, wearing a prison jumpsuit with a chain around his neck.—
Diego Lasarte,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2026
-
For accessories, Hathaway wore a set of pink gold Bulgari jewels, including a sparkly wrap bracelet, dangling earrings, and a red cocktail ring, according to InStyle.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As for the inside, it’s lined with a cotton blend so items like sunglasses or compacts won’t get scratched on a rough surface.—
Shea Simmons,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
He had been scratched from the lineup but OKC manager Scott Hennessey was coaching third base for the Comets’ half of the inning and Ward had to wait until the inning was over to get the official word.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their bond begins to fray, and betrayal — once utterly unthinkable — now becomes all too possible.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The coalition of supporters that made this strategy work has frayed, and new research is raising concerns about the health impact of regular cannabis use.—
William Garriott,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrade. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
