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
  • The high-pressure stream erodes the lighter-colored soft spring wood that’s found between the dark grain bands of summer-wood.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Once the decision is made, continuing to relitigate it creates confusion, erodes trust, and slows execution.
    — Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of erodes
Verb
  • The capsaicin in hot peppers irritates pests and deters them from feeding on plants.
    — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 15 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of irritates
Verb
  • People should immediately wash cuts and scrapes thoroughly with soap and clean running water after coming in contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, the CDC said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The tool scrapes third-party sources to compile additional information and context about individual tracks.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
Definition of scrapes
Verb
  • Granted, save for one image on a TV screen, no one wears a Green Lantern mask or outfit in the Lanterns pilot, but the wheels of its story have been in motion for decades by the time its premise unfolds.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Sadie Sink plays Jean Grey as a Gen Zer malcontent who wears a hoodie and whose affect suggests a steady diet of Sylvia Plath.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of wears
Verb
  • But as his guitar scratches away at Stewart’s velvet synths and glances off Mitchell’s drums, sing Reilly does.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
  • Preparing for a college football Saturday with ACC Network scratches the same gameplanning itch for Fisher that used to take up his time during his more than three decades as a coach.
    — David Ubben, New York Times, 17 July 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
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Cite this Entry

“Abrades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrades. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on abrades

Nglish: Translation of abrades for Spanish Speakers

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