abrading 1 of 2

adjective

as in roughening

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abrading

2 of 2

verb

present participle of abrade
1
as in eroding
to damage or diminish by continued friction ropes abraded by the rocks were a huge danger to the climbers

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in irritating
to make sore by continued rubbing my new running shoes abraded my heels until they blistered

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scraping
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 abrading
Verb
Prior to snapping its selfie, the rover had just finished abrading the rocky Arethusa outcrop. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 May 2026 Pockmarks and brittle edges show the abrading action of millennia of wind and rain. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrading
  1. irritating
  2. eroding
  3. scratching
  4. scraping
  5. wearing
  6. fraying
  7. rubbing
Adjective
  • December 22 – January 19 A small adjustment could make your whole day less irritating.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • The irritating and inflammatory nature of the smog caused hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to become short of breath or to develop symptoms from underlying heart disease.
    — Rebecca Florsheim, STAT, 17 July 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • Vance has seen his support eroding, both in and outside of Jewish circles.
    — Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
  • The analysis likely assumed customer traffic would transfer from drive-in to drive-thru without eroding customers’ affinity for the drive-in experience.
    — Clifford Hudson, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of eroding
Verb
  • For all the talk of playing small-ball in the postseason and scratching for every productive out, power-hitting is actually one of the most significant separators for pennant winners.
    — Neil Paine, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • While scratching his head on Citi’s Copilot take, Jim found the analysts’ commentary around Azure reassuring.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Definition of scratching
Verb
  • Firms have been scraping Truth Social data for months, in violation of TMTG’s terms of ⁠service, ​according to a spokesperson.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 16 July 2026
  • In the past, most AI labs got the majority of their data for free, by simply scraping the internet.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Definition of scraping
Verb
  • In a clearing in the forest, his younger selves sit at a long table with the abbott, who is wearing the final boss of season three’s awful wigs.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Javier Bardem, wearing a Spain replica shirt with Borja Iglesias’ name and No 26 on the back, was shown celebrating in the stands.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • Even after five years of daily use, the double zippers never snag, the adjustable strap isn’t fraying, and the black color has hardly faded.
    — Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026
  • For women who are functioning, performing and quietly fraying at the edges, this kind of shift can be profound.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 13 July 2026
Definition of fraying
Verb
  • With eight goals and two assists so far this tournament, the GOAT will be rubbing his hands.
    — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 15 July 2026
  • For washable fabrics, avoid rubbing aggressively as this action can push the stain deeper into the material fibers.
    — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 13 July 2026
Definition of rubbing

Browse Nearby Words

abrades
abrading
abrasion
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Cite this Entry

“Abrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrading. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of abrading for Spanish Speakers

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