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
Sweetin became sober in 2008 after abusing drugs and alcohol for over a decade and has become a public advocate for recovery from addiction.
—
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Clinicians aren’t abusing the IDR system.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
The new law, which passed on April 1 and goes into effect on July 1, comes after frustrated Idaho sportsmen complained of out-of-staters abusing the relatively short requirements.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
Combs has acknowledged abusing his former girlfriends.
—Reuters, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
His uncle took him in before Swanson reunited with his mom, but Swanson began running with the wrong crowd, selling and abusing drugs.
—Brian Martin, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
Instead of writing obvious viruses, attackers are increasingly abusing legitimate features built into operating systems and cloud services.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Ensuring your Wi-Fi router receives software updates is crucial to patching vulnerabilities, especially since the router ban is all about stopping hackers from abusing flaws in today’s home networking gear.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
Investigators said, following the report, the child's mother checked surveillance video from inside the home and saw the night nurse, Cindy Dresser, physically abusing the child.
—Stephanie Ballesteros, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Clinicians aren’t abusing the IDR system.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
The new law, which passed on April 1 and goes into effect on July 1, comes after frustrated Idaho sportsmen complained of out-of-staters abusing the relatively short requirements.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
Combs has acknowledged abusing his former girlfriends.
—Reuters, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
His uncle took him in before Swanson reunited with his mom, but Swanson began running with the wrong crowd, selling and abusing drugs.
—Brian Martin, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
Instead of writing obvious viruses, attackers are increasingly abusing legitimate features built into operating systems and cloud services.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Ensuring your Wi-Fi router receives software updates is crucial to patching vulnerabilities, especially since the router ban is all about stopping hackers from abusing flaws in today’s home networking gear.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
Investigators said, following the report, the child's mother checked surveillance video from inside the home and saw the night nurse, Cindy Dresser, physically abusing the child.
—Stephanie Ballesteros, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusing
Verb
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Online platforms are generally not legally responsible for the content that their users post; Meta, for example, would not be liable for bullying comments or imagery for self-harm posted onto Facebook.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Lendeborg had a highlight-reel dunk by bullying his way through two defenders and finishing his transition drive with a dunk to put Michigan up 66-57.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Be sure that the rear lure always has a hook, as the bass typically key in on the ‘straggler’ when attacking a ball of bait.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Other offences include attacking one victim on September 20, 2006 and another one in September 2016.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In October 2025, he and another former Godley officer were indicted on charges of misusing a city credit card.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2026
-
In its post, however, the company underscored the risks of misusing tools like Mythos.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But while this was a flaw Dunham was exploiting, some fans saw it as a virtue.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
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This approach could be the difference between exploiting a narrow, timely opportunity to buy or refinance or getting stuck on the sidelines a bit longer.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The cartel has been accused of using fake job advertisements to lure new members and of torturing and killing recruits who resist.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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No such rules appear to exist for Saudi Arabia, whose leaders have been accused of arbitrarily arresting, jailing and torturing people who speak out against the government.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On one side, people are slamming Bieber’s performance, describing it as lazy and underwhelming, despite his reportedly high paycheck for the gig.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Apr. 2026
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In security camera footage of her killing posted on the Department of Homeland Security's X feed, the man can be seen repeatedly slamming the hammer into a black vehicle parked in front of the gas station.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This interactive balance board connects to a free app where your body becomes the controller, using movement to play engaging games.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Mayor Karen Bass said officers will also expand their presence in the area by placing LAPD vehicles in high-visibility locations and using license plate readers in high-risk burglary areas.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Josett pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors, including unauthorized computer access and fraud; annoying and repeated phone calls; and contempt of court for violating the restraining order.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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The officer’s actions after finding the warrant, while definitely violating the spirit of the act, may actually expose some gray areas in the application of the law, said Tsao, who also works as senior policy counsel for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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