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
  • 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
  • Another slightly irritating quirk is that the top only stays open for 9 seconds.
    — Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • What’s eroding is their ability to tell which ones deserve their trust.
    — Nirav Tolia, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Following any market trend of eroding the bottom of the pyramid can be risky for organizations both in terms of getting the work done and developing managers.
    — Tonushree Mondal, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of eroding
Verb
  • Use them to cook without scratching your ceramic and nonstick cookware, then toss them in the dishwasher for low-maintenance cleaning.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Its uniquely wide view will also help scientists decode the intricacies of dark matter and dark energy while perhaps clearing up some contradictions about our universe that scientists have been scratching their heads over for decades.
    — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratching
Verb
  • Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, waiting until each is incorporated into the batter and scraping down the bowl before adding the next.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Wood is a softer surface than stainless steel and therefore can help protect your knives from wear caused by scraping against the strip.
    — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of scraping
Verb
  • Pisces February 19 – March 20 A busy day could reveal where your routine has been quietly wearing you down.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • After shooting Lino in the foot, the stranger reveals himself as Father Joe (Kiefer Sutherland), an actual priest who takes on Manhattan’s drug dealers wearing his work clothes.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • Amid competing global crises and shifting donor priorities, that safety net is fraying.
    — Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
  • To help prevent the fabric around the drawstring hole from fraying, paint a rectangle and snip an opening in the channel as described below.
    — Jodi Levine, Parents, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of fraying
Verb
  • One juror was rubbing his eyes as Sullivan talked, and another was clasping and unclasping his hands in his lap.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Danger, Olivo, and Mosco had just eaten by the gazebo and Damaris was rubbing her pup’s head goodnight, about to go into the shack.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rubbing

Browse Nearby Words

abrades
abrading
abrasion
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Cite this Entry

“Abrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrading. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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