as in roughening
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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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Recent Examples of abrading
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
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
Verb
-
Kaua'i’s northwest coast is one of the world's most rapidly eroding shores.—
Brianna Randall,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
As many others have noted, including Fortune contributor Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at the Tufts Fletcher School, this is now structurally unwinding, rather than slowly eroding.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Key Points Cayenne pepper can deter squirrels by irritating their senses without causing harm.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
-
When midges bite, a small welt can emerge that can be itchy and irritating.—
Alexiah Syrai Olsen,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Proxy services are often used for illicit or unethical purposes such as performing DDoS attacks, running botnet command-and-control servers, operating phishing operations, and scraping website content.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
-
After negotiations fell through, the network blocked Perplexity’s scraping bot from accessing its content.—
Corbin Bolies,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
On July 15th, 2020, the CDC Director recommended all Americans start wearing masks as a way to 'get the epidemic under control,' citing a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly (MMWR) study involving two hairstylists in Missouri.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
Getting off the plane, Chamberlain was wearing shades on a gloomy day.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Use a dry cloth and gentle pressure to remove buildup without scratching delicate surfaces.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
27 May 2026
-
Spark will monitor and organize Gmail, complete complex tasks, and manage workflows across apps – and that’s just scratching the surface.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Repairing the country’s fraying social ties will be a challenge.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
-
And with the existing safety net of services fraying as never before, our work is more important than ever.—
Deidre Johnson,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Speaking of harnesses, fliers put on a base layer like compression shorts to protect from rubbing, and costume designer Ryan Park designed clothes to hide and accommodate the harnesses.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
Cholowsky wrapped both his arms around the boy and lowered his head onto the crown of the blue helmet, absentmindedly rubbing his back.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrading. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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