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
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 abuses
ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Thursday’s events — with protesters dispersed, journalists assaulted and prisoners reporting abuses — underscored the gap between the regime’s messaging and conditions on the ground.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
This story was originally published by ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Alex Acquisto, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
The prosecutors said federal courts elsewhere have retroactively applied the new guidelines to impose sentences of 36 months for torture in Ethiopia, 10 years for abuses during the Liberian civil war, 57 and 63 months in two other cases in Bosnia.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
Schacher said some of the countries have records of human rights abuses and corruption.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Sometimes the dissenting voices that face the most censorship eventually prove to be particularly valuable to society for their efforts to report on abuses of power and spur reform.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
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
As a child, Heathcliff’s main tormenter is Cathy’s brother, Hindley, who physically abuses Heathcliff and forces him to work in the stables as a servant.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
In the final video, Pierce can be seen shirtless, with bruises showing, while Ruffin verbally abuses him, Facklam said.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
In the film, Victor emotionally abuses the Creature.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
Jung, a close ally of Lee, said the government is willing to expand legal redress and speed compensation for victims of government abuses whose cases have been verified by the truth commission.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Thursday’s events — with protesters dispersed, journalists assaulted and prisoners reporting abuses — underscored the gap between the regime’s messaging and conditions on the ground.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
This story was originally published by ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Alex Acquisto, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
The prosecutors said federal courts elsewhere have retroactively applied the new guidelines to impose sentences of 36 months for torture in Ethiopia, 10 years for abuses during the Liberian civil war, 57 and 63 months in two other cases in Bosnia.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
Schacher said some of the countries have records of human rights abuses and corruption.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Sometimes the dissenting voices that face the most censorship eventually prove to be particularly valuable to society for their efforts to report on abuses of power and spur reform.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
As a child, Heathcliff’s main tormenter is Cathy’s brother, Hindley, who physically abuses Heathcliff and forces him to work in the stables as a servant.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
In the final video, Pierce can be seen shirtless, with bruises showing, while Ruffin verbally abuses him, Facklam said.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
In the film, Victor emotionally abuses the Creature.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuses
Noun
-
There are comic insults and lines of great beauty.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But instead of paving the way for some good ol’ fashioned infidelity, the liquid courage causes the women to turn on each other, with the evening devolving into inebriated insults and recriminations.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are state laws concerning specific misuses of AI but some legislators are attempting to put broader guardrails in place.—
KATHERINE LIN,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Second, that the occasional misuses of that discretion would be few, far between, and manageable by the court system through robust testing and oversight.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
The Atlantic,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Collective action deters bullies Harvard never stood alone.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
-
There’s always a mean kid in your class who bullies everybody else.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The man attacks the woman with the hammer multiple times before stepping over her unmoving body and walking away out of the frame of the camera.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Apr. 2026
-
She was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa — an eye disease that causes vision loss — and lupus, a disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy tissues and organs instead of fighting germs, according to court records.—
Chase Jordan
April 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If anything looks off, a professional inspection is a smart investment — far cheaper than an emergency roof repair after a storm exploits an existing weak spot.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
-
While Big Tech exploits vulnerable Floridians, Florida’s lawmakers are taking action to prevent the costs of data centers from shifting to regular utility ratepayers, ensuring that innovation does not come at the expense of everyday Floridians.—
Brendan Steinhauser,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The latest disagreement comes as Democratic politicians nationwide try to navigate growing criticisms from their own voters about American support for Israel.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The algorithm funnelled me into accounts that were making hard, scathing criticisms of Judaism as an organized religion.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 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
-
On stage, Cameron Winter leads an overall enthralling performance, as the group slams out songs back-to-back with little to say in between; no shenanigans, just a top-notch show.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
When Daisy slams the bedroom door in frustration, June can’t help but smile at the cliched rebellion.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuses. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
