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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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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.
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Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
8 Nov. 2025
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Christina alleged that Joan physically and emotionally abused her and Christopher in her best-selling 1978 memoir, Mommie Dearest, which was adapted for the 1981 film that starred Faye Dunaway.
—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
20 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
One video advertises access to a longer clip of a boy toddler being abused for less than three dollars.
—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Christina alleged that Joan physically and emotionally abused her and Christopher in her best-selling 1978 memoir, Mommie Dearest, which was adapted for the 1981 film that starred Faye Dunaway.
—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for abused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abused
Verb
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Bonnie's new device Lilypad initially causes problems with this, leading her to be brutally bullied in a group chat and shamed into rejecting her toys.
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After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA.
Verb
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Daga, Berto, Angel, Bronco Nima and Karmen Petrovic attacked El Grande Americano and took off their jackets to reveal their Los Perros del Mal T-shirts.
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The prosecution said the two activists had incited a mob that subsequently attacked a security vehicle, seized the soldier and beat him to death with sticks and bricks.
Verb
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Peregrine doesn’t use facial recognition, doesn’t create or collect new data, and builds active flagging mechanisms, not passive ones, when data is misused.
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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), aka the UK’s data protection watchdog, has now concluded a two-year investigation into the incident and has found that sensitive personal information was indeed deliberately misused.
Verb
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The book is often about the ways in which wellness and self-care have become commodified and exploited — having to level up to buy things in order to feel good.
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Given Iran’s belief that they were exploited by colonial powers, Tehran sees this program as essential to its national identity and to achieving independence from foreign influence.
Verb
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Pluverge, an ice cream maker at Taste the Tropics, came to the United States on asylum after he was kidnapped and tortured by gang members in his home country.
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This is just one in a sweaty dungeon of hundreds of TikTok videos that show women being stalked, grabbed, tortured, tossed to the ground, and handcuffed by scary masked soldiers.
Verb
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During a press conference in the Panhandle on Tuesday, Collins took off his prosthetic leg and slammed it on the podium in response to a question from a reporter.
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But Republican rival Steve Hilton slammed the group for political opportunism.
Verb
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The Constitution has been perverted in ways by administrations on both sides of the aisle to facilitate military action.
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Organized sports can easily be perverted.
Verb
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Since the launch of LineShine, the supercomputer has been used for applications ranging from climate modeling and engineering simulations to drug discovery, neuroscience and AI, the center said.
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The newer techniques, and the ones being used by the better clinics in Turkey, are FUE and DHI.
Cite this Entry
“Abused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abused. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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