1
as in insult
harsh insulting language
hometown fans hurled abuse at the visiting team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misuse
incorrect or improper use
naturally the furniture had received a lot of abuse from the 10 kids in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bully
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
if you abuse your pet, he will always have an ugly disposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
a demanding, difficult patient who constantly abuses the nurses and aides
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
if you abuse your baseball bat by using it to hammer nails, don't expect it to last long
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
abused his parents' trust, pilfering small amounts from them that he hoped they wouldn't notice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abuse
Brandon Roberts, ProPublica, 6 June 2025
One candidate, Cuomo, was handed the keys to New York State, but resigned in disgrace in a blaze of corruption, mismanagement, and abuse.
—Brad Lander, New York Daily News, 6 June 2025
Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Treatment providers gamed and abused the Affordable Care Act, Health Net said.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Brandon Roberts, ProPublica, 6 June 2025
One candidate, Cuomo, was handed the keys to New York State, but resigned in disgrace in a blaze of corruption, mismanagement, and abuse.
—Brad Lander, New York Daily News, 6 June 2025
Verb
Opponents say such a system could track women who cross state lines for abortions − something a police officer in Texas is accused of doing − or be abused by law enforcement to target political opponents or even stalk romantic partners.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Treatment providers gamed and abused the Affordable Care Act, Health Net said.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
The president and the governor are having a momentous fight about constitutional rights in the courts, and flaming each other with insults and photoshopped memes on Truth Social and X. The ICE raids have thrown some Angelenos into a state of fear and virtual hiding.—
Julia Wick,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
-
The two men had a very public falling out in early June, which unfolded in a series of insults and allegations on social media.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
Instead of building products and then testing durability, manufacturers can create virtual stress models based on how people actually use (and misuse) products in real life.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
-
The maximum penalty for the company’s alleged misuse of Halt is more than $4 million.—
Sharon Lerner,
ProPublica,
10 June 2025
Verb
-
Kids with alopecia areata get bullied in school every day.—
Shamsha Damani,
Health,
13 June 2025
-
Cash noted she was bullied throughout school for her learning disability.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
When Iran attacked Israel in 2024 with a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones, around 99% were successfully stopped.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
Diddy's alleged reaction to public release of his attack on Cassie Ventura Jane's testimony gave the jury insight into how Diddy reacted when surveillance footage of the rapper attacking Cassie Ventura went public in May 2024.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
On Wednesday, police in Seattle used pepper spray to clear out protesters, and officers in Denver used smoke and pepper balls to control a crowd.—
Krysta Fauria,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2025
-
In clinical trials, patients using EMROSI saw a noticeable reduction in flare-ups and clearer skin over time.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
When the new Tesla Model 3 came out at the end of 2023 (which the company claims isn’t called Highland despite everyone else calling it that), its lack of an indicator stalk (like the Model S Plaid) garnered criticism.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
-
The decision comes after months of criticism for punishing a woman fencer who refused to fence a trans opponent, which included scrutiny from federal lawmakers at a congressional hearing in early May.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
The footage includes a scene in which a Hitler look-alike is tortured.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
-
In 2024, Chinese state media reported at least four separate cases of university students allegedly torturing cats.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Verb
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After the period, the TNT crew scolded Luostarinen for not keeping his stick on the ice.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2025
-
The estranged wife of actor Scott Wolf was seemingly detained by law enforcement during an Instagram livestream, during which she can be heard scolding officers and alleging she was abused.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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