1
as in insults
harsh insulting language
hometown fans hurled abuse at the visiting team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misuses
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 bullies
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 attacks
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 perverts
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 exploits
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuses
Verb
-
Unlike hijacking, which alters resolution paths, cache poisoning exploits weaknesses in the DNS resolution process itself, enabling large-scale phishing, credential theft and malware distribution.—
David Redekop,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025 -
This tactic exploits user trust in familiar sites, allowing attackers to silently breach systems of specific individuals or organizations.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Another of Lively's criticisms include that she had been told the publicity of the movie would focus on the main character's resilience in a violent relationship, but Baldoni shifted the focus to make it about raising awareness of family violence.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Agricultural water districts raised other criticisms.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
But Wesley slams off the tape right then and there, and later side-eyes Graham in the break room.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 Jan. 2025
-
Out of the blue, Ian attacks the man and slams a dagger into his heart.—
Lincee Ray,
EW.com,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
This has led to unique jewelry that uses sustainable diamonds and personalized processes to create pieces that perfectly match each occasion.—
Molly Peck,
USA TODAY,
28 Dec. 2024
-
This piece of exercise equipment uses gravity and your body weight to create resistance.—
Nora Colomer,
Fox News,
28 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Major publishing companies and authors are arguing that a federal judge should deny Florida’s request to dismiss a lawsuit over the removal of school library books, saying a controversial state law violates First Amendment rights.—
Jim Saunders,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Incentives could also encompass partial sanctions relief, with snap-back clauses to reimpose them if Russia violates the terms of the deal.—
Samuel Charap,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Dec. 2024
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.
Cite this Entry
“Abuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuses. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share