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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Authorities say the woman had an active warrant on charges of child neglect, child abuse and fleeing and eluding law enforcement.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Giveaway or website, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void.
—AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
Past abuse allegations at the restaurant Noma resurfaced days before its $1,500-per-ticket Los Angeles pop-up opens in Silver Lake.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Authorities say the woman had an active warrant on charges of child neglect, child abuse and fleeing and eluding law enforcement.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
In recent weeks, Lewandowski and Noem have been accused of abusing DHS resources and generally creating chaos at the department.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Giveaway or website, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void.
—AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
Several leaned out of their windows to shout insults or raise middle fingers.—
Jodi Bondi Norgaard,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Left-wing social media users launched a volley of insults at 23-year-old Brooke Slusser in recent days.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement At the same time, entirely new forms of AI misuse are emerging.—
Don Aviv,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
-
He was sentenced to one year of probation on the misdemeanor charge as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, who agreed to drop more serious charges of harassment and misuse of public monies.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jaxson Hayes remembered the bruising the Lakers got at Madison Square Garden a month ago when the New York Knicks bullied them on the boards, outscored them by 14 in the second half and had six players score in double figures.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Do not procrastinate — and do not be bullied, either by your spouse or your attorney!—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On Thursday, Iran’s new Supreme Leader said that his country would keep closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which about a fifth of the world’s oil flows, and more vessels in the Persian Gulf were attacked, including two oil tankers that were set ablaze off the coast of Iraq.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Iran attacked two oil tankers off the coast of Iraq overnight, setting them ablaze.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Eco effort The usual—refillable bath products, paper straws, glass bottles—and the Sjöstrand espresso machine in rooms use organic and climate-compensated coffee capsules.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Mar. 2026
-
His slider and changeup, used 23 total times, were unhittable, generating seven whiffs on seven swings.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Dowdle responded to criticism of his performance down the stretch on social media on Friday, seemingly taking a shot at coach Dave Canales’ offensive play-calling.—
Mike Kaye
Updated March 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
-
With the police chief taking criticism for a recent rise in shootings by officers, several proposals sought to strengthen accountability for the use of deadly force.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The former soldier also said Haitian police mentally and physically tortured the Colombian suspects after they were taken into custody.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
-
For 47 years, Iranians have been subject to a regime that seeks to divide them, isolate them, oppress them, torture them and dispose of them.—
Talla Mountjoy,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But a final autopsy report determined there was no link between the fight — during which Mejia appeared to slam her head into a wall — and her death.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The collision sent the fire truck careening into an Access-a-Ride bus, which in turn slammed into a Lexus SUV, police said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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