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
Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
But relying on the military to supplant the role traditionally performed by civilian law enforcement entails risks in a region where military institutions and oversight are weaker, armed forces have a legacy of human rights abuses and corruption is a perennial challenge.
—Joshua Goodman The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Today, the country is considered a shaky democracy at best, and civil rights abuses abound.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
For them, suspicion of medical abuses continues, even as no doctrinal mandate per se rejects modern medical interventions.
—Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
One of the ironies of her obsession with cameras was that videos of abuses perpetrated by ICE and Border Patrol started to go viral.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
But relying on the military to supplant the role traditionally performed by civilian law enforcement entails risks in a region where military institutions and oversight are weaker, armed forces have a legacy of human rights abuses and corruption is a perennial challenge.
—Joshua Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The movie positions itself as being fueled by a righteous, volcanic rage, down to a story line about a character who has women’s tongues cut out to ensure their silence about his abuses.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
The list of abuses of power is long.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
The River Is Waiting follows Corby, a dad laid off from his job in an advertising firm’s art department, who secretly drinks 100-proof rum and abuses prescription medication while caring for his twin 2-year-olds.
—Eric Magnuson, The Atlantic, 2 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
Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Bowles abuses those pass-blocking rules by stunting the three-technique, Logan Hall (90), across the left guard's face, knowing the guard will follow him.
—Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
However, these picture-perfect images are often dismissed as advertisements that ignore the far less glamorous issues in the destination, including human rights abuses.
—Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
But relying on the military to supplant the role traditionally performed by civilian law enforcement entails risks in a region where military institutions and oversight are weaker, armed forces have a legacy of human rights abuses and corruption is a perennial challenge.
—Joshua Goodman The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Today, the country is considered a shaky democracy at best, and civil rights abuses abound.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
For them, suspicion of medical abuses continues, even as no doctrinal mandate per se rejects modern medical interventions.
—Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
One of the ironies of her obsession with cameras was that videos of abuses perpetrated by ICE and Border Patrol started to go viral.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
But relying on the military to supplant the role traditionally performed by civilian law enforcement entails risks in a region where military institutions and oversight are weaker, armed forces have a legacy of human rights abuses and corruption is a perennial challenge.
—Joshua Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The movie positions itself as being fueled by a righteous, volcanic rage, down to a story line about a character who has women’s tongues cut out to ensure their silence about his abuses.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
The list of abuses of power is long.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
The River Is Waiting follows Corby, a dad laid off from his job in an advertising firm’s art department, who secretly drinks 100-proof rum and abuses prescription medication while caring for his twin 2-year-olds.
—Eric Magnuson, The Atlantic, 2 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
Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Bowles abuses those pass-blocking rules by stunting the three-technique, Logan Hall (90), across the left guard's face, knowing the guard will follow him.
—Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuses
Noun
-
The play unfolds as a series of battles, where the unaccomplished George and the bitterly disappointed Martha exchange vicious and demeaning insults, using Nick and Honey as the unsuspecting pawns in their war for supremacy.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The British, by contrast, preferred their insults more oblique.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Patients with myositis, an immune disease that attacks muscle, have shown significant improvements in strength.—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Ghostface killer attacks them, leaving two dead, including Lucas, impaled on a sharp beer tap handle.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Consider how Russia exploits disasters and climate debates.—
Michael Chertoff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Nebraska became the latest state to sue Roblox on Wednesday, alleging that the popular gaming platform exploits children and misrepresents its safety practices.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Berry, 59, opened up about her decision in a recent interview with The Cut, where the actress also discussed her film Crime 101, menopause, and her criticisms of California Governor Gavin Newsom.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The governor has increased her actions against and criticisms of ICE ever since launching her reelection campaign in January.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 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
-
When this valve slams shut, the entire network suffers a mechanical heart attack.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Researchers tested whether a hardy bacterium could endure the crushing pressures generated when a space rock slams into a planet and ejects debris into space.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuses. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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