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
-
Equal citizenship is the foundation of democracy, and the framers sought to prevent politicans from eroding that foundation.—
David Cole,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
And even those who do own their own home aren’t immune—taxes, energy bills, and grocery prices have all surged, quietly eroding the financial cushion many assumed would last decades.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That said, while the price point is hard to beat, BHAs are higher in molecular weight, which can be irritating for those with especially sensitive skin.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Angry Mama Microwave Steam Cleaner is thoughtfully designed to effortlessly remove stubborn messes without scrubbing or scraping for hours on end.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Tore it apart before scraping it and sure enough, tucked into a corner, covered with lint, was an old gold ring.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Curry, wearing a bulky wrap around his knee, leaned back and took a long, deep breath before exhaling as the game tipped off.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Her heart features the side profiles of two residents wearing Indigenous attire in the foreground, and a map of the city’s East Side, with street names like Indiana Avenue, Holmes Street and Troost Avenue behind them.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Use gentle solutions like dish soap, baking soda, or vinegar to clean without scratching surfaces or leaving streaks.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The quest to find out why some Braves were celebrating hits by scratching their heads proved more arduous than expected.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But gaps the size of ours are breeding frustration and distrust, fraying the social fabric and creating the conditions for instability and upheaval.—
Russell Hancock,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
These sateen sheets only get softer after each wash, according to shopping director Rachel Fletcher, who has had the high-quality bedding for years and has never spotted fraying or pilling.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My hands are almost rubbing [the ground] sometimes.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The slightly higher cut helps prevent sneakers from rubbing your ankle or the top of your foot.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrading. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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