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
Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Prosecutors dismissed two charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, all felonies, and one count of misdemeanor theft of public assistance as part of the plea agreement.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Instead of sending generic or suspicious-looking emails, attackers are now abusing Apple's iCloud Calendar invite system to deliver phishing content directly from Apple's own email servers.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
New revelations emerge in David Sills' lawsuit against SBC as the denomination hopes to defeat a second major defamation case involving abuse allegations.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Prosecutors dismissed two charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, all felonies, and one count of misdemeanor theft of public assistance as part of the plea agreement.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
Growing up in the foster care system, Emily says that she and her sister were abused.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Instead of sending generic or suspicious-looking emails, attackers are now abusing Apple's iCloud Calendar invite system to deliver phishing content directly from Apple's own email servers.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
The insults have been flying in the back-and-forth, and there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight for at least the short term.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Some others within the group interpreted Yahaya’s lyrics as an insult to the Prophet Muhammad.—
Sean Nelson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The case could set a precedent, both in India and globally, for how courts recognize the AI misuse of celebrity images.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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But that suspension, in my opinion, showed a gross misuse of authority by the league when a fine would be the proper punishment.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Now he's accused the Indianapolis Democrat of bullying and threatening him.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
3 Oct. 2025
-
After getting bullied in elementary school, his mom, the comic book writer Elaine Lee, homeschooled him.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the hands of editor Richard Mettler, some of those fragments serve montages that interlace how the tribes prepare to defend themselves with the way Jalabzeen readies himself to attack.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Having attacked the edge of the six-yard box, Rodon has to back-pedal and meet the ball, again, wide of the goal.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Opera has used the Neon name before for a concept browser back in 2017.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Others, however, believed that Johnson used his access as leverage in dealing with Bukele.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The criticism drew a sharp and dismissive response from Kelani Jordan.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The move came on the heels of NFL analyst Rex Ryan's previous criticisms of Sanders’ outspoken nature.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This is the cost of having been tortured in public.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Miss Sammie flashed the scolding look Jean had known since childhood, though playfully now.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Chun also scolded attorneys for Amazon in July for withholding thousands of documents from the FTC and abusing a legal privilege to shield them from scrutiny.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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