1
as in bullied
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
if you abuse your pet, he will always have an ugly disposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacked
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in maltreated
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abused
The Marshall Project, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
His wife convinced him there would be no better home for this abused infant than theirs.
—Scott Craven, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025
Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
For over a year, it was then used and abused for testing, much of it on Ferrari’s Fiorano track.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abused
Verb
Neuroscientists have found that an abused child’s brain will not mature as easily.
—The Marshall Project, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
His wife convinced him there would be no better home for this abused infant than theirs.
—Scott Craven, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025
Adjective
She had been abused as a child and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
For over a year, it was then used and abused for testing, much of it on Ferrari’s Fiorano track.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abused
Verb
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She’s being bullied at school due to the fact her psychic gifts that helped solve The Grabber case are no longer a secret.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement Enter Billy, played by Dacre Montgomery, a troubled California transplant who bullied his younger step-sister, Max, and her friends.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Before taking on the captaincy, Cummins was used primarily as a strike bowler — a fast, hostile spearhead who attacked in bursts.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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This Abel Ferrara cult classic follows a mute seamstress who goes on a revenge rampage after being attacked twice in one day on the streets of New York.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The paper—supported by Cascale, Textile Exchange and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation—argues that LCAs are often misused across the apparel sector.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Oct. 2025
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If the guy who runs OpenAI can’t stop his own face from being misused, what chance do the rest of us have?—
Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In theory, Slot’s tactical out-of-possession shuffle to a staggered 4-3-3 should help Liverpool to defend on their right flank, but the ease with which Chelsea exploited the space was a culmination of weeks of warning signs.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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There's nothing inherently damning about money chasing hyper-aggressive stocks in a bull market just turning three years old with many core fundamental themes appearing well-exploited.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Donnelly, meanwhile, recalled on the witness stand how he was repeatedly drowned, tortured and raped by Gacy, per court documents.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
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In Elordi’s hands, the creature is a sensitive soul tortured by his own existence.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And one of them slammed my face into the subway grates and knocked my tooth out.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
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Most recently, Hurricane Nicole slammed into Florida as a Category 1 in early November 2022 and Hurricane Zeta smashed into Louisiana as a Category 3 in late October 2020.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The real fiends were the ones who perverted science, who attacked this misunderstood giant out of fear, who branded him as something unholy and unworthy to exist, who gave him life but didn’t give him love.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
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Instead, the concept has been perverted to mean higher-ed grandees' exclusive right to determine who participates in scholarly life.—
Ilya Shapiro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Schmidt warned that without enforcement, these rogue models could spread unchecked and be used for harm by bad actors.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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While initially designed to be used in a rocket artillery system, it was modified to be attached to a first-person-view drone using a wooden stick, wire and duct tape, CAR said.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abused. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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