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
Los Angeles City Hall, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Only if a final agreement follows on this provisional one will Iran be provided with $300 billion and the lifting of all sanctions, including those linked to terrorism, its ballistic-missile program, and human-rights abuses.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Both state and church are also known for failing to live up to those ideals, for permitting indefensible abuses, for ugly histories.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 18 June 2026
The arrest came after Swaydan on Monday posted harrowing details of abuses and violations that happened in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of al-Shatabi Hospital, which is a university hospital in Alexandria.
—ABC News, 17 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
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
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
That safeguard was meant to guard against potential abuses of power, said Meza, the former commission chair.
—Los Angeles City Hall, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Only if a final agreement follows on this provisional one will Iran be provided with $300 billion and the lifting of all sanctions, including those linked to terrorism, its ballistic-missile program, and human-rights abuses.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Both state and church are also known for failing to live up to those ideals, for permitting indefensible abuses, for ugly histories.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 18 June 2026
The arrest came after Swaydan on Monday posted harrowing details of abuses and violations that happened in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of al-Shatabi Hospital, which is a university hospital in Alexandria.
—ABC News, 17 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
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
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
-
The adversaries made for a striking scene, exchanging insults in mutually unintelligible languages in the dead of night.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
The president lobbed insults at the Fed chair and the two clashed over the budget for a multibillion-dollar renovation project at the Fed's Washington headquarters.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
15 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
-
Chevalier, who’s running with the vocal support of Mayor Mamdani, attacks Espaillat as being too moderate and a supporter of Israel.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
-
But what if Iran’s proxy Hezbollah attacks Israel?—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
This configuration exploits the boundary layer of air flowing over the airframe to increase efficiency.—
David Szondy
June 14,
New Atlas,
14 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
That, of course, was shown at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the Jabulani grabbed headlines for its erratic and unpredictable movement — so much so that there’s a Wikipedia page dedicated to its criticisms.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
-
Former school board member Melissa Easley echoed many of those criticisms in a lengthy Facebook post Wednesday.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
19 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
-
Granit Xhaka slams it into the right corner of the net.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
-
After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuses. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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