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
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
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
-
State leaders seem to care more about the undocumented, DEI, Don’t Say Gay, redistricting, Hope Florida and school vouchers while our coastlines are eroding.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Judge Salas told us vilifying judges is eroding trust in the courts.—
Heather Abbott,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wear gloves to avoid irritating your skin.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The Seminole-Palm Harbor contest got a bit dicey in the second half, with questionable calls irritating players, coaches and fans, most notably on the Seminole side.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The wet-look bob By scraping hair away from the face and gathering it at the back of the head, a slick wet-look bob is a chic way to disguise thinning hair.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
-
There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jeffrey’s wife, known as Shambles, operates the puppets from behind the curtain, while wearing their 5-year-old daughter, known as Crumbo, in a sling.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Communications student Loane Concy Clementia recently stood outside the Rabanne show at Paris Fashion Week, wearing a black bra, a white lace and satin skirt and a white fur bomber off the shoulder.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Use natural cleaners like baking soda and vinegar to safely remove stains and grime without scratching the surface.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Counsell, Hottovy, team president Jed Hoyer and many others in the organization believe that Cabrera was just scratching the surface last season.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The fraying ties prompted Islamabad to return almost three million Afghan nationals in recent months, straining Kabul’s scant resources.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The finest pitching prospect since Ubaldo Jimenez became undone, fraying at the seams as part of a rotation that should be buried underneath the batting cages at Salt River Fields and never be spoken of again.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To help protect the strength of the tree, remove limbs that are crossing or rubbing against each other.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Once inside, Salarzai molested the child, including touching his chest and rubbing his thigh.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrading. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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