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
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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
Gabriella Bachara,
NBC news,
3 July 2026
Watson will also have to stay away from the victim — and record a video about the harm of substance abuse and the importance of mental health treatment.
—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Richard Nephew,
Fortune,
2 July 2026
Lamar called out Drake for allegedly having a secret child, and Drake claimed that Kendrick abused his fiancée.
—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
But the department has also recommended to the county attorney that his parents be charged with child abuse.
—
Gabriella Bachara,
NBC news,
3 July 2026
Watson will also have to stay away from the victim — and record a video about the harm of substance abuse and the importance of mental health treatment.
—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Verb
Corrupt officials, professional enablers, and other criminal actors should also be expected to abuse these gaps for their own advantage.
—
Richard Nephew,
Fortune,
2 July 2026
Lamar called out Drake for allegedly having a secret child, and Drake claimed that Kendrick abused his fiancée.
—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
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According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs.
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Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
Noun
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The injuries and deaths are attributed to several factors, including fireworks misuse, malfunctions, unpredictable flight paths, tip-overs, and late ignitions.
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The risk increases further with agentic AI because the technology can move beyond assisting employees to acting on their behalf, which expands the likelihood of error, misuse, credential abuse, data leakage and unintended business disruption.
Verb
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This was a rabid, partisan home-soil advantage that flat-out bullied the squad into surviving.
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They got bullied in that one, showing a tremendous lack of physicality.
Verb
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He is accused of attacking a 27-year-old man with a beer mug inside the Hula Bar on Saturday night.
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Liv Morgan controversially interrupted Iyo Sky's coronation, attacking her and forcing a tap-out.
Verb
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Alysa Guffey Currently, data centers use industrial zoning and ask for exemptions to use the site for data centers.
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In court documents, O’Hara alleged the defendants violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, accusing them of unlawfully restricting free speech and initiating an unlawful seizure while using excessive force.
Noun
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The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, and thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest the law.
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Asked about the greenwashing criticism, a Council spokesperson said companies active in the fossil fuel sector can still contribute to the transition, for example by developing low-carbon fuels or building electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Verb
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What unfolds is a unique horror story that is unbelievably entertaining, psychologically torturing and incredibly fun.
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The brutal nature of her murder—she was believed to have been tortured, and her body was cut in half and provocatively posed—helped spark a media frenzy.
Verb
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As officers came close, the tow truck slammed on its brakes, causing the squad car to collide with the rear of the truck, the source said.
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The fatal hit-and-run occurred less than two hours after a 13-year-old boy was killed riding on the back of a moped in Queens after his friend slammed into an open car door and then careened into a moving truck.
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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