1
as in abusing
to put to a bad or improper use
an actor who misused his considerable talent by appearing in too many lousy movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bullying
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
sadly misused by the people he had trusted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of misusing
Marcin Romanowski, the former deputy justice minister in the right-wing Polish government, is in hiding in Hungary, accused of misusing public funds.
—
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
At the time, Brown was out of jail without bail on charges of misusing the 911 system.
—Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
The health insurer accused Nutex Health, in letters to the Idaho Department of Insurance and the federal government, of routinely overcharging the insurer for treatment at its Post Falls hospital and misusing the federal process designed to help providers and insurers settle out-of-network claims.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026
The beleaguered labor secretary had been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail on top of misusing her funds.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 22 Feb. 2026
School leaders previously strongly denied that the district is misusing funds.
—Mike Darnay, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
His mismanagement was so reckless that key duties were stripped from the agency, & he was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for misusing state & campaign funds.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
If the federal government insists on misusing courts as traps rather than the place where disputes are legally hashed out, then our justice system needs to find safe ways for people to appear.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 14 Feb. 2026
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s Republican opponent has accused the politician of misusing taxpayer dollars to prop up his reelection campaign.
—Bayliss Wagner, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Feb. 2026
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
At the time, Brown was out of jail without bail on charges of misusing the 911 system.
—Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
The health insurer accused Nutex Health, in letters to the Idaho Department of Insurance and the federal government, of routinely overcharging the insurer for treatment at its Post Falls hospital and misusing the federal process designed to help providers and insurers settle out-of-network claims.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026
The beleaguered labor secretary had been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail on top of misusing her funds.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 22 Feb. 2026
School leaders previously strongly denied that the district is misusing funds.
—Mike Darnay, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
His mismanagement was so reckless that key duties were stripped from the agency, & he was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for misusing state & campaign funds.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
If the federal government insists on misusing courts as traps rather than the place where disputes are legally hashed out, then our justice system needs to find safe ways for people to appear.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 14 Feb. 2026
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s Republican opponent has accused the politician of misusing taxpayer dollars to prop up his reelection campaign.
—Bayliss Wagner, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misusing
abusing
Verb
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While multiple members of the network have been arrested in recent years, thousands of members are still spread across the globe abusing children.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
21 Feb. 2026
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Farmer reported Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to law enforcement in 1996 for abusing her and her younger sister in New York City.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misusing. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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