as in maltreated
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1
as in bullied
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 attacked
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
a demanding, difficult patient who constantly abuses the nurses and aides
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in misused
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 exploited
to take unfair advantage of
abused his parents' trust, pilfering small amounts from them that he hoped they wouldn't notice
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abused
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
This trashy horror-thriller centers on an abused boy (Max Thieriot) who grows up to wreak havoc on a suburban town and the teenager (Lawrence) who cares about him.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2025
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
Sarah Kellen alleged that Philip Levine and Frédéric Fekkai had abused her.
—James Hill, ABC News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for abused
Adjective
There’s Manny, Zitzs and EZ, who has a way with the girls; Izzy, an abused boy who hides his family’s secrets, and Gloria, as good at sports as the boys and so fierce nobody teases her little sister about her stutter.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
This trashy horror-thriller centers on an abused boy (Max Thieriot) who grows up to wreak havoc on a suburban town and the teenager (Lawrence) who cares about him.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
In a campaign that started Sunday, the unknown threat actor abused the mechanism that allows Dashlane users to add new devices, such as computers or phones, to their accounts.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
Sarah Kellen alleged that Philip Levine and Frédéric Fekkai had abused her.
—James Hill, ABC News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for abused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abused
Verb
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And yet, the complex plot comes down to the bond between Albus and Scorpius, who are living in their fathers’ shadows, bullied and uncertain of themselves, as their connections with their dads falter.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
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In a country like India, subjugated early in the history of capitalist imperialism, and then bullied after independence by the West, a degree of self-renunciation and collective sacrifice was widely understood to be requisite to economic and political self-strengthening.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Three people were killed and 20 more people were attacked by bears across at least nine prefectures between April and June 2, according to public broadcaster NHK.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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During the Gaza war, the Houthis attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea — including ships with no link to Israel — to pressure Israel into lifting its blockade on the enclave.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The co-founder of the now defunct FTX crypto exchange is currently serving a 25-year federal prison sentence after he was found guilty of orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that misused billions of dollars in customer funds at FTX and its affiliated trading firm, Alameda Research.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
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Agency chair says data has been misused Early indications of the EEOC's plan to stop gathering data came a year ago.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Almost 90 percent of global marine fish stocks are fully exploited or overfished.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
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They can be stolen, reused and exploited.—
Art Gilliland,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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During similar unrest last year, several officers were abducted and tortured after being taken captive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
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Armand tortured and planned to drain Daniel, but Louis stepped in to save him.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Additionally, Wallen was also slammed by several local figures.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 June 2026
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Without hesitation, Towns drove past the 7-4 unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, and slammed home a finish.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The Constitution has been perverted in ways by administrations on both sides of the aisle to facilitate military action.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
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Organized sports can easily be perverted.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The video and the SCE data offer proof that the 100-year-old line, which hadn’t been used since the early 1970s, became re-electrified and sparked the fire that killed 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena and surrounding areas, attorneys say.—
Tony Saavedra,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
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Now a national historic landmark, Iolani Palace has been restored to its former glory after almost 80 years of being used as a government building.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abused. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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