as in annoying
causing annoyance
an abrasive display of rude behavior
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Recent Examples of abrasive
It's meant to be a place of administrative drudgery with zero action, and yet, led by the affectionately abrasive Jackson Lamb (Oldman), Slough House and its slow horses somehow get involved in some of the most important cases of the moment.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 14 June 2025
This highly abrasive dust can damage spacesuits, spacecraft and equipment.
—Julian Dossett, Space.com, 12 June 2025
If only the show’s many plot twists didn’t limit its parallel accounts of abrasive crusaders navigating a flawed criminal justice system by limiting viewers’ perspective on Merritt (Chloe Pirrie).
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 May 2025
Not only was the winger jumping into the league just one year after he was drafted, but the 1984-85 Philadelphia Flyers were a talent-laden club led by a first-year head coach, Mike Keenan, who quickly established a reputation as a hard-nosed guy who would often employ abrasive tactics.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrasive
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 14 June 2025
This highly abrasive dust can damage spacesuits, spacecraft and equipment.
—Julian Dossett, Space.com, 12 June 2025
If only the show’s many plot twists didn’t limit its parallel accounts of abrasive crusaders navigating a flawed criminal justice system by limiting viewers’ perspective on Merritt (Chloe Pirrie).
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 May 2025
Not only was the winger jumping into the league just one year after he was drafted, but the 1984-85 Philadelphia Flyers were a talent-laden club led by a first-year head coach, Mike Keenan, who quickly established a reputation as a hard-nosed guy who would often employ abrasive tactics.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrasive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrasive
Adjective
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And the positivity surrounding it is annoying, including my own.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
20 June 2025
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Each cup is made from a single piece of heavy-gauge stainless steel, so there are no annoying seams for flour or sugar to get stuck in.—
Francesca Krempa,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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The solution proved to be nearly as irritating as the problem.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
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The most prevalent active ingredients in the videos were not only irritating, but are also known to increase sun sensitivity.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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What’s more frustrating is that neither of the bracket’s two best overall performers will be proceeding on to the semifinals, and in hindsight, one of them — Acid Betty — really wasn’t given a chance.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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The most frustrating character on The Bear continues to be Claire (Molly Gordon), whose on-screen role in Season 3 was limited, but whose importance even as an unseen force has grown and grown.—
Linda Holmes,
NPR,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Content moderators are workers who remove disturbing content from social media—data which is often then used to train AI systems like ChatGPT or Facebook’s algorithms.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
19 June 2025
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That still wasn’t as disturbing as the sight of Solène washing her feet in the crew mess sink.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abrasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrasive. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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