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
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 abusing
America’s youth have been increasingly abusing common over-the-counter medications, according to poison center records.
—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Uber’s campaign accused trial attorneys of unethically abusing their clients and attorneys said the company is attempting restructure longstanding civil justice laws to escape accountability for harm caused by its drivers.
—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Authorities began investigating in November 2024 when the Missouri Department of Social Services received an anonymous report that Deutsch was allegedly mentally and physically abusing a minor in her care, according to a probable cause statement obtained by PEOPLE.
—
Kc Baker,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
According to Variety and Puck, the film was originally set to dramatize Jackson being accused of abusing 13‑year‑old Jordan Chandler in 1993.
—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
The lawsuit, filed in December, claims that the Litchfield Middle School failed to act on a complaint from the 1980s that Driscoll was allegedly abusing students before Fitterer and Bird were middle school students in the 1990s.
—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
Articles of impeachment were brought against him on two counts, for allegedly abusing his power through his dealings with Zelenskyy and then allegedly obstructing the House’s investigation into the matter.
—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
In 2025, two Centennial nursing home staffers were arrested and charged with criminal negligence, complicity, and abusing an at-risk adult after allegedly covering up details about how a 92-year-old woman with dementia in their care suffered a broken leg.
—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Napper experienced significant trauma as a child, having witnessed his father abusing his mother, Pauline Lasham.
—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Uber’s campaign accused trial attorneys of unethically abusing their clients and attorneys said the company is attempting restructure longstanding civil justice laws to escape accountability for harm caused by its drivers.
—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Authorities began investigating in November 2024 when the Missouri Department of Social Services received an anonymous report that Deutsch was allegedly mentally and physically abusing a minor in her care, according to a probable cause statement obtained by PEOPLE.
—
Kc Baker,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
According to Variety and Puck, the film was originally set to dramatize Jackson being accused of abusing 13‑year‑old Jordan Chandler in 1993.
—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
The lawsuit, filed in December, claims that the Litchfield Middle School failed to act on a complaint from the 1980s that Driscoll was allegedly abusing students before Fitterer and Bird were middle school students in the 1990s.
—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
Articles of impeachment were brought against him on two counts, for allegedly abusing his power through his dealings with Zelenskyy and then allegedly obstructing the House’s investigation into the matter.
—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
In 2025, two Centennial nursing home staffers were arrested and charged with criminal negligence, complicity, and abusing an at-risk adult after allegedly covering up details about how a 92-year-old woman with dementia in their care suffered a broken leg.
—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Napper experienced significant trauma as a child, having witnessed his father abusing his mother, Pauline Lasham.
—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusing
Verb
-
This legislation helps our state meet current challenges and ensures bullying via AI is addressed in the school code.
-
Muslim students continue to report the highest rates of bullying among religious groups in the country.
Verb
-
He is accused of attacking a 27-year-old man with a beer mug inside the Hula Bar on Saturday night.
-
Liv Morgan controversially interrupted Iyo Sky's coronation, attacking her and forcing a tap-out.
Verb
-
But he was ejected from the company in 1973 for allegedly misusing corporate funds, and pleaded guilty to tax evasion.
-
Heinrich also accused Ingram of misusing public funds for his own travel and accommodations.
Verb
-
But the recent action on Anthropic, as well as asking OpenAI to limit its own newest model, comes after experts have fretted for months that Mythos could pose a security risk by giving hackers and other bad actors access to AI capable of finding and exploiting vulnerabilities exceptionally quickly.
-
The 2018 games in Russia similarly came under fire for accusations of bribery and exploiting workers.
Verb
-
Henry Bernard Montgomery, 38, was arraigned Monday afternoon on one count of third-degree killing/torturing animals and given a $20,000 bond with a GPS tether.
-
In fact, the disease has been torturing humans for at least 5,500 years, according to a study published today in the journal Nature .
Verb
-
An on-and-off again rivalry during the primary The two men shared a similar message during the primary, slamming Democrats for mismanaging the state and calling for tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks.
-
Also in 2007, Spencer was sentenced concurrently to seven years in prison for choking a woman, slamming her head to the ground, and robbing her of her cellphone, and for smashing into a woman's car and ransacking it, prosecutors said.
Verb
-
Twice last month, people in South Korea taking an exam to assess their English language skills - the results of which are often used to make hiring decisions - were caught using smart glasses.
-
This horoscope was generated automatically using information from Sanctuary.
Verb
-
Officials accused her in the letter of violating the university’s time, place and manner policy, which sets rules on free speech activities on campus.
-
In March, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit against Kalshi for allegedly violating the state's Lawful Sports Betting Act by allowing residents to participate in sports betting under the form of trading event contracts.
Cite this Entry
“Abusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusing. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
