as in maltreated
Related Words
Relevance
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
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abused
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2025
His organization mobilizes to rescue large numbers of abused animals from horrific conditions and give them a new start in life.
—CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
The complaint alleges that the late singer abused the four siblings at international and national tour stops as well as at his Santa Barbara County estate, Neverland Ranch.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abused
Adjective
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
His organization mobilizes to rescue large numbers of abused animals from horrific conditions and give them a new start in life.
—CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Noem came under blistering criticism from Democrats — and a few Republicans — over allegations that under her authority, immigration officers have abused the rights of immigrants and American citizens and used excessive force.
—Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
The complaint alleges that the late singer abused the four siblings at international and national tour stops as well as at his Santa Barbara County estate, Neverland Ranch.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abused
Verb
-
Do not procrastinate — and do not be bullied, either by your spouse or your attorney!—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Similarly, the defense insists, Oak View Group wasn’t bullied but instead pursued opportunities for collaboration.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iran, Israel and the United States also have attacked oil and gas facilities since the war started, worsening supply concerns.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Its national oil company declared force majeure after the country’s sole oil refinery was attacked.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Voter privacy advocates worry that shared election data could be misused to remove people from state voter rolls in violation of privacy laws.—
Josh Kelety,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Environmental laws should protect our natural areas and not be misused to stop housing in our city cores.—
Matt Mahan,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even more concerning, one of them is already being exploited by attackers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
After Europeans arrived, the islands were exploited for the military, ranching, drilling, and fishing.—
Betsy Andrews,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His fourth attempt was foiled when he was arrested at the airport and detained and tortured for several months.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The former soldier also said Haitian police mentally and physically tortured the Colombian suspects after they were taken into custody.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has taken steps to improve relations with North Korea, but North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has slammed the overtures and laid out his vision for more nuclear development.—
Soo-hyang Choi,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Foster immediately checked out of the game, slammed his fist on a chair and screamed when trainers probed at his right foot, then went back to Duke’s locker room.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Organized sports can easily be perverted.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The two victims told police that the suspects had used antisemitic language during the incident but police did not further specify what was said.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The study demonstrates a new level of miniaturization and scalability for optical beam-combining hardware used in high-power laser systems.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abused. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
