abrading 1 of 2

adjective

as in roughening

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • But the current debate begins, like so many irritating conversations, with the 2016 election.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The process is used to transform raw, localized ingredients — such as rice, but also honey and soybeans — into more potent but non-irritating formulas that target cellular turnover and provide deep hydration by penetrating the skin more effectively.
    — Kati Chitrakorn, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • With first-party fraud and friendly disputes eroding already thin retail margins, managing chargebacks requires far more than basic operational recovery.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Humboldt County officials have long debated what to do about Centerville Road, a narrow, twisting byway that leads to an eroding rural beach and a handful of homes.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of eroding
Verb
  • Well, my colleague Jack Flemming, who’s written about luxury real estate in California for years, landed on the front page Thursday with news that might leave you scratching your head.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Seeing people scratching and crawling to win life-changing money.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of scratching
Verb
  • In large bowl of electric mixer using the paddle attachment, thoroughly beat cream cheese, scraping bowl as needed, until smooth.
    — Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Return to pan, scraping bowl clean with a heatproof rubber spatula.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of scraping
Verb
  • According to police and fire department accounts, Banks, who was wearing only underwear, was acting erratically and attempted to rob other citizens before officers arrived.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The training process also includes virtual reality (VR), with an operator wearing a headset and gloves to guide Gallop through tasks using the same components and cameras found at the actual workstation.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • Out of practice and endurance, Dylan’s voice is fraying and weak.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In a comprehensive feature story this week, Ars reports on the fraying relationship between SpaceX and NASA.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of fraying
Verb
  • The simplest answer to how to wash fruits and veggies is to start with clean hands, then rinse produce under cool running water while rubbing it for about 20 seconds.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Small amounts of surface rust or rust that can be removed simply by rubbing a paper towel over the surface, is okay.
    — Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of rubbing

Browse Nearby Words

abrades
abrading
abrasion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrading. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All