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
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Recent Examples of abuses
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
Warner said a couple major companies threatened to stop participating in 2024 before Congress reached a deal to renew Section 702 for two years after a series of abuses by the FBI caused the program to nearly expire.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Reform-minded members of Congress — pointing to a history of abuses — want to see additional changes to the program, including a warrant requirement before law enforcement can review Americans' information.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 12 June 2026
Qatar in 2022 was allowed to host despite evidence of human rights abuses.
—Stefan Szymanski, Fortune, 12 June 2026
The spending abuses were revealed by city auditor Patrick Reilly, and some residents ask why City Manager Rickelle Williams has not yet disciplined any city employees.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2026
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 11 June 2026
For years, human rights organizations, former political prisoners and opposition leaders alleged that torture and other abuses were carried out inside its walls.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Ethiopia has also faced criticism over reports of human rights abuses targeting government critics and journalists.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
People deserve a government that watches out for our people’s best interests, not one that abuses its powers and sells us to the highest bidder.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
According to Lewkowitz, if a grower abuses the soil, the system ceases to be viable, leaving zero likelihood of success from a sustainability standpoint.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
Under my watch, anyone who abuses wildlife in Florida will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
During the tantrum, the child verbally abuses the parent and also destroys property within the home.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
The insurer said during a Senate committee hearing that Nutex abuses the independent dispute resolution process, which was intended by the federal No Surprises Act to be a last resort in cases where providers and health insurers can’t agree on what should be paid for out-of-network care.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Malware often abuses them to take control of your device.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
Multiple figures within the sport have alleged, under oath, that members of FIFA accepted bribes in exchange for giving the World Cup to Qatar, a nation that has also been accused of facilitating human rights abuses of the migrant workers who built the country’s stadiums.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
Warner said a couple major companies threatened to stop participating in 2024 before Congress reached a deal to renew Section 702 for two years after a series of abuses by the FBI caused the program to nearly expire.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Reform-minded members of Congress — pointing to a history of abuses — want to see additional changes to the program, including a warrant requirement before law enforcement can review Americans' information.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 12 June 2026
Qatar in 2022 was allowed to host despite evidence of human rights abuses.
—Stefan Szymanski, Fortune, 12 June 2026
The spending abuses were revealed by city auditor Patrick Reilly, and some residents ask why City Manager Rickelle Williams has not yet disciplined any city employees.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2026
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 11 June 2026
For years, human rights organizations, former political prisoners and opposition leaders alleged that torture and other abuses were carried out inside its walls.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Ethiopia has also faced criticism over reports of human rights abuses targeting government critics and journalists.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Verb
New York City’s child welfare agency routinely abuses its emergency power to take children from their parents without a court order, creating lifelong consequences for families, a new class-action lawsuit seeking to end the practice alleged Thursday.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
People deserve a government that watches out for our people’s best interests, not one that abuses its powers and sells us to the highest bidder.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
According to Lewkowitz, if a grower abuses the soil, the system ceases to be viable, leaving zero likelihood of success from a sustainability standpoint.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
Under my watch, anyone who abuses wildlife in Florida will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
During the tantrum, the child verbally abuses the parent and also destroys property within the home.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
The insurer said during a Senate committee hearing that Nutex abuses the independent dispute resolution process, which was intended by the federal No Surprises Act to be a last resort in cases where providers and health insurers can’t agree on what should be paid for out-of-network care.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Malware often abuses them to take control of your device.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuses
Noun
-
Aiyuk appears to direct two common insults at the subject of the video — almost certainly the 49ers — by using the literal, nonprofane meanings of the terms rather than saying the vulgar words themselves.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
The hail of insults pouring from the Cubs dugout grew louder and nastier.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The decision to hire the Crumbie Law Group to investigate the potential misuses involving city credit cards and other resources was approved by the Board of Aldermen during a special meeting on Wednesday.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
-
The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA) prohibits specific intentional misuses and establishes a 36-month regulatory sandbox.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The Pledge is meaningless if the president of the United States lies to us, divides us, bullies us and steals from us.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Collective action deters bullies Harvard never stood alone.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In a 1998 study published in Toxicon, researchers revealed that the inland taipan’s venom comprises a sophisticated mix of biologically active compounds, each of which attacks multiple physiological systems simultaneously.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The bodycam footage shows Rivas swimming across the water before an alligator gives chase and attacks him.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The hackers used a common tactic known as credential stuffing to access the data, which exploits weak and reused passwords.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
The addition was a prompt injection, a form of AI attack that exploits an LLM’s inability to distinguish between legitimate user prompts and those from unauthorized, potentially malicious third parties.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Asked about those criticisms Wednesday, Raman defended her record and argued the city needs a different approach.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
-
Pressure has only continued to mount as guests flood into Mexico City, and the government has faced a crescendo of criticisms by protesters and residents who say authorities have prioritized the competition over pressing social needs in the Latin American nation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The retrospection tortures her.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
There's somatic empathy, the automatic wince when someone slams their hand in a door.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
In addition, an open lid that slams shut can pinch small fingers, and the water in a toilet can be a drowning hazard.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuses. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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