as in insulting
marked by harsh insulting language
never one to believe that honorable people can disagree honorably, he invariably launches abusive attacks against anyone who dares to challenge him
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abusive
Speaking to Fox News Digital on Monday, Fulbright said her restaurant is reinforcing a zero-tolerance policy for abusive behavior.
—
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Miller spends a significant amount of time getting to know the local people and towns, but every discovery leads only to more pain; more disappearances, more tragic unsolved crimes, and more horrifyingly abusive characters terrorizing whole communities into silence.
—Rebecca Hannigan, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
The law requires members all be treated consistently, so unpleasant abusive members are entitled to the same roof repair as saintly grateful members.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
There are lots of reasons someone might not want a photo posted, ranging from it simply being an unflattering shot, to future employers Googling their name, through to hiding from an abusive ex or being in witness protection.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Miller spends a significant amount of time getting to know the local people and towns, but every discovery leads only to more pain; more disappearances, more tragic unsolved crimes, and more horrifyingly abusive characters terrorizing whole communities into silence.
—Rebecca Hannigan, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
The law requires members all be treated consistently, so unpleasant abusive members are entitled to the same roof repair as saintly grateful members.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
There are lots of reasons someone might not want a photo posted, ranging from it simply being an unflattering shot, to future employers Googling their name, through to hiding from an abusive ex or being in witness protection.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive
Adjective
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Many researchers cite those exact words as insulting or wrong when asked about their own terminations.—
STAT Staff,
STAT,
29 Dec. 2025
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With two toddlers and a 10-hour workday for her husband, the advice was more insulting than helpful.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Corey Heim had 11 victories at the start of the Truck Series finale at Phoenix but needed to dip his truck low in an outrageous seven-wide scramble in overtime to secure the title.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Jan. 2026
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In his earlier work, that kind of behavior felt outrageous or surreal.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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While touring the plant, video posted by TMZ showed Trump making an obscene gesture at someone who was yelling at him from afar.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
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Trump responded with a curse word and using an obscene gesture.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
Freep.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Juxtaposed with these vituperative remarks are, naturally, shots of Trump seemingly falling asleep while on camera.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
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From his pulpit, Wicks rains down selectively vituperative fire and brimstone, with an eye toward provoking walkouts from unsuspecting visitors—say, a gay couple or a single mom.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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These computer viruses often spread through malicious ads embedded in popular websites or infected links in YouTube video descriptions, according to SpyCloud.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
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Jesse Jeremiah, 51, was arrested on suspicion of malicious destruction of railroad property, vandalism and unlawfully stealing and carrying away copper materials, jail records show.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But unlike his son, Trent was an offensive lineman, per the Clarion Ledger.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith confirmed Thursday that the Tennessee Titans have reached out to interview him for their head coach opening.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In the Hulu version of the story, Clarke plays Alex, a middle-aged lawyer stealing money from his clients and funneling it into an opioid addiction and, the series implies, other scurrilous crimes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
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The justices who renounced that lie in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center exposed themselves to scurrilous criticisms and even threats to their safety.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Trump posted about the tragic news on Monday morning, upsetting many with his vitriolic reaction to Rob's death, in particular.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
15 Dec. 2025
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The travel advisory follows official protest from both sides related to the incident – with each country summoning the other’s ambassador – and a surge of vitriolic backlash against Takaichi from within China, where nationalist, anti-Japanese sentiment has been on the rise in recent years.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
15 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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