1
as in insult
harsh insulting language
hometown fans hurled abuse at the visiting team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misuse
incorrect or improper use
naturally the furniture had received a lot of abuse from the 10 kids in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bully
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
if you abuse your pet, he will always have an ugly disposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
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 to misuse
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 to use
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 abuse
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 25 July 2025
Martha Lucia Zapata-Echeverri, 51, of Spain, was arrested for child abuse on Monday, July 21, at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Bay Lake, Fla., by the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO), per an arrest affidavit PEOPLE obtained.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 24 July 2025
Arkansas Online, 20 July 2025
Maxwell, his longtime confidant, was convicted in 2021 of acting as a recruiter of young girls who would later be abused by Epstein.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
Victoria Caldwell and Stubblefield pleaded guilty to evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse, and Burton and Caldwell entered Alford pleas to abuse of a corpse and second-degree manslaughter — while Burton also pleaded as such to tampering with evidence.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 25 July 2025
Martha Lucia Zapata-Echeverri, 51, of Spain, was arrested for child abuse on Monday, July 21, at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Bay Lake, Fla., by the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO), per an arrest affidavit PEOPLE obtained.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 24 July 2025
Verb
In May, state prosecutors indicted Yoon on charges of abusing power and forcing soldiers and police officers to try to seal the assembly and election offices, acts that are not part of their duties.
—Arkansas Online, 20 July 2025
Maxwell, his longtime confidant, was convicted in 2021 of acting as a recruiter of young girls who would later be abused by Epstein.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
And the gratuitous insults—to NATO allies, the European Union, the BRICs, the United Nations, or the World Health Organization—continue to flow from the president.—
MARGARET MACMILLAN,
Foreign Affairs,
21 July 2025
-
The Steals and Deals segment on the WFTV newscasts are annoying and an insult to the viewers!—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
Data governance will aid in preventing misuse of cybersecurity.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
Because chatbots can be used in so many different ways (and because they are often trained on some of the sketchier parts of the internet), designing products that anticipate all possible forms of misuse can be difficult.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
During his childhood, he was isolated and bullied and eventually became addicted to heroin and struggled with his weight.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
20 July 2025
-
Edmondson bullied Lapin the entire round and the Ukrainian looked gas.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
Advertisement Huckabee also visited the Christian community of Taybeh in the West Bank on Saturday after a church was reportedly attacked and vandalized by Israeli settlers.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
22 July 2025
-
Amorim needs a mobile centre forward capable of attacking open space at speed and offering a threat in quick transition.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
This is when the teen uses social conflict to express frustration.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
In this case, the Department of Homeland Security directly contacted state officials about using a quiet, remote airstrip to put up a soft-sided series of structures in which ICE detainees could be held pending court hearings.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
The Washington football franchise changed its name from the Washington Redskins to the Commanders after decades of criticism about its name and logo.—
Annabella Rosciglione,
The Washington Examiner,
20 July 2025
-
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese was one of many WNBA players who have expressed criticism of the league's handling of negotiations.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
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Luis Leon, who received political asylum in the United States in 1987 after being tortured under Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's regime, misplaced his wallet that held his legal residency card, according to Allentown, Pennsylvania, newspaper The Morning Call.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 July 2025
-
Editor’s Pick From assassination plots to torture programs, the agency’s darkest operations have always been at the President’s behest.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Whether this comes off as a joke or as an invitation for scolding (spoken or unspoken, loving or otherwise) depends entirely on the other Muslims in the room.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
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But there was a time Emily Deschanel, who played the meticulous forensic anthropologist through 12 seasons of Bones, got scolded for being just that — and the memory still makes the star emotional.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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