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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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If trust in the institution erodes this will have a negative effect on public life more generally, calling into question the impartiality of the justice system.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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This also presents an opportunity for Europe to turn strongly towards renewables and develop more nuclear, wind, and water infrastructure in order to fully account for the gap which would further erode Russia’s relevance in that market.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 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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Officials said that none of the passengers on the boat were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident, and alcohol is not believed to have been a factor in the crash.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Rare was the big public event in which none of the bold names were telling red-carpet interlocutors that were wearing Armani.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
5 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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Nevertheless, there are signs that the Venezuelan-Chinese partnership is already fraying.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Its light wash and frayed raw hem look reminds me of the pair the lifestyle guru wore, and the ankle-skimming length is great for showing off a cute pair of sneakers, booties, or slip-on sandals.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrade. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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