abrades

verb

present tense third-person singular of abrade
1
as in erodes
to damage or diminish by continued friction ropes abraded by the rocks were a huge danger to the climbers

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2
as in irritates
to make sore by continued rubbing my new running shoes abraded my heels until they blistered

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scrapes
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

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 abrades Each time clothes rub against each other in the washer, the friction abrades the fibers slightly causing the surface to look dull. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrades
  1. erodes
  2. irritates
  3. scrapes
  4. wears
  5. scratches
  6. frays
Verb
  • Financial privacy erodes gradually through risk assessments, compliance obligations, information sharing partnerships and international standards presented as technical rather than political.
    — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • This undermines financial stability, erodes reserves intended for true emergencies, and increases the likelihood of necessary cuts or emergency measures in the future.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2026
Definition of erodes
Verb
  • Anyone who has sat through a mandatory team-building exercise knows the difference between a ritual that binds and a program that irritates.
    — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026
  • If someone is in your life long enough, they’re bound to do something that irritates you—and you’re bound to do something that irritates them.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of irritates
Verb
  • Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.
    — Anna Spoerre, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
  • Every texture is an independent agent with its own membrane in the mix; percussion rubs and scrapes against your attention, while mutating synth patches burble in the periphery.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Definition of scrapes
Verb
  • Rodríguez Castro wears a stainless-steel version on his left wrist.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Team Visma-Lease A Bike’s Jonas Vingegaard currently wears the yellow jersey after two stages, while Mexico’s Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates won his first Tour de France stage on Sunday afternoon.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of wears
Verb
  • Some scratches early in this past season led to reports of Mintyukov requesting a trade, but the smooth-skating blueliner improved his play and settled in on Anaheim’s second defense pairing.
    — Eric Stephens, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Food particles and microorganisms can become trapped in the nicks, grooves, and scratches on the board.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 28 June 2026
Definition of scratches
Verb
  • Conjuring the troubled inner life of a young, successful Buenos Aires fashion designer with an uncommon mix of stylistic rigor and feeling, the film frays your nerves.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
  • The coalition of supporters frays Still another issue is conflict within the legalization movement itself, particularly between the business and activist wings.
    — William Garriott, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of frays

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abraded
abrades
abrading
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Cite this Entry

“Abrades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrades. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on abrades

Nglish: Translation of abrades for Spanish Speakers

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