1
as in bullying
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
if you abuse your pet, he will always have an ugly disposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacking
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 misusing
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 exploiting
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 abusing
Once installed, NexShield immediately starts abusing Chrome or Edge in the background.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Wearing the device was a requirement of his supervised release after being charged the previous week with abusing Velasquez’s child at the longtime daycare that Patty Bender operated out of her San Martin home.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
The owner of a Boise mental health clinic and former Republican legislative candidate pleaded guilty to abusing a 12-year-old girl.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 13 Feb. 2026
Other charges cited corruption Another pattern that emerged in AP’s review involved ICE officials charged with abusing their power for financial gain.
—Ryan J. Foley, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Another pattern that emerged in AP's review involved ICE officials charged with abusing their power for financial gain.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Emily began writing Wuthering Heights in the autumn of 1845, only weeks after her substance-abusing brother, Branwell, had returned from a trip to Liverpool.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
For more than a year, high-ranking staffers have resigned, often in public fashion, and accused him of bullying them and abusing his office’s authority.
—Ryan Oehrli
february 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026
But documents released by the Justice Department show about 10 emails that mention Lutnick, including references to a lunch on Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean where minors accused Epstein of abusing them.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Wearing the device was a requirement of his supervised release after being charged the previous week with abusing Velasquez’s child at the longtime daycare that Patty Bender operated out of her San Martin home.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
The owner of a Boise mental health clinic and former Republican legislative candidate pleaded guilty to abusing a 12-year-old girl.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 13 Feb. 2026
Other charges cited corruption Another pattern that emerged in AP’s review involved ICE officials charged with abusing their power for financial gain.
—Ryan J. Foley, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Another pattern that emerged in AP's review involved ICE officials charged with abusing their power for financial gain.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Emily began writing Wuthering Heights in the autumn of 1845, only weeks after her substance-abusing brother, Branwell, had returned from a trip to Liverpool.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
For more than a year, high-ranking staffers have resigned, often in public fashion, and accused him of bullying them and abusing his office’s authority.
—Ryan Oehrli
february 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026
But documents released by the Justice Department show about 10 emails that mention Lutnick, including references to a lunch on Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean where minors accused Epstein of abusing them.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusing
Verb
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Rootselaar transitioned from male to female about six years ago and subsequently dropped out of school two years later, but McDonald said there is no evidence that Rootselaar dropped out due to bullying because of the transition.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Feb. 2026
-
For more than a year, high-ranking staffers have resigned, often in public fashion, and accused him of bullying them and abusing his office’s authority.—
Ryan Oehrli
February 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The strategy marks a shift toward attacking cartels’ financial systems as law enforcement pressure mounts on traditional drug routes.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Dan Ndoye is capable of playing in a central attacking role and Morgan Gibbs-White has looked handy playing in a more advanced role.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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She was convicted of misusing her power and violating the trust given to her as a public official.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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While the complaint was pending, Myer allegedly contacted Norwalk police and told them Gabriele was misusing a license plate again, the lawsuit contends.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The assault in the restroom seems to fit into a pattern of men exploiting or hurting Sweetpea.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In October, authorities filed a superseding indictment against 21-year-old Baron Cain Martin of Arizona, accusing him of membership in 764 and other groups and exploiting children – including a 13-year-old girl who carved swastikas into her body at his direction.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Yorgos Lanthimos, Florian Zeller and Juliette Binoche are among more than 800 film professionals who have signed a joint statement condemning the Iranian government for killing and torturing its own people.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
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Dan Bujor, who lives out of a school bus parked in Long Island City, was arrested Sunday on charges including overdriving animals, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide sustenance, in addition to driving without a license, in connection with the bizarre incident, cops said.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The xAI-SpaceX merger is still fresh, AI fears have been slamming software stocks, and Moltbook—a social network for personal AI agents—blew up the Internet.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
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Heathcliff acts like a whiny little baby throughout this film, constantly throwing tantrums, running away, and slamming doors.—
Cazzie David,
Vogue,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The reversal follows a string of high-profile shootings involving federal immigration agents in which eyewitness statements and video evidence have called into question claims made to justify using deadly force.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After Conley admitted to violating parole in federal court on Monday, Hall revoked his supervised release and sentenced him to 21 months in or with no supervised release to follow.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
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Wiener is also pushing new legislation — called the No Kings Act — that would allow people in California to sue federal agents for violating their rights.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusing. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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