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

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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
  • That tiny gesture may explain why secret copying can feel especially irritating.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Despite its splashy unveiling, Project Zenith is more about making the OS less irritating for developers than adding any groundbreaking capabilities.
    — Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • One partial solution for some areas is to import sand to replenish eroding beaches, but that can carry a hefty price tag.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • And then, there is the second barrier — which is also eroding quickly.
    — Ashish K. Jha, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of eroding
Verb
  • Perhaps that’s just a tactic of a contender behind in the polls and scratching away to be the first Republican to lead California since Arnold Schwarzenegger.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Baking soda’s mild abrasiveness helps scrub away light stains and grime without scratching your toilet bowl’s porcelain.
    — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of scratching
Verb
  • There is Adnan, steadily and unhesitatingly marking up pages in ink, or scraping pigment onto canvases with a palette knife, creating simplified, color-rich forms drawn from nature and memory.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Add the shrimp mixture, scraping all of the seasoning from the bowl into the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, just until the shrimp turns opaque and curls into a C-shape.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of scraping
Verb
  • For a decade, hundreds of Black women and girls have gathered in Kansas City wearing curls, coils, locs, braids and Afros for an annual photograph intended to challenge narrow ideas about what beautiful hair is supposed to look like.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Dixie D’Amelio sauntered in wearing a shimmering black Gucci dress.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • The companies on this year's list are tackling problems that range from rising energy demand to fraying supply chains.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Its tale of a Zainichi assassin (an ethnic Korean in Japan), as well as fraying political tensions between the North and South, take its characters far and wide, in a follow-the-money treasure hunt dangerously close to the halls of power.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of fraying
Verb
  • As far as technique, pressing is gentler on dry skin than rubbing or dragging.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Among other things, Noohu accused showrunner Ed Brubaker of rubbing his back and of making comments about running his hands through Noohu’s hair.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of rubbing

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abrades
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Cite this Entry

“Abrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrading. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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