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
Steve Hilton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
But that was not the full extent of the abuse captured on camera.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
Under the plan, FISA, which allows warrantless wiretapping of noncitizens, would be extended for three years, with new oversight guardrails and penalties for abusing the spy tool.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
Enforce the law on rate approvals, reduce rebuilding costs by cutting red tape, crack down on litigation abuse and property crime, and create a stable environment where insurers actually want to do business in California.
—Steve Hilton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
But that was not the full extent of the abuse captured on camera.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Verb
That says a lot about Michael rescuing other people who felt that they were being abused, mistreated.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
Under the plan, FISA, which allows warrantless wiretapping of noncitizens, would be extended for three years, with new oversight guardrails and penalties for abusing the spy tool.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
The president has spent a decade calling his rivals communists and traitors, among other hyperbolic insults.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
According to Politico, the conversation was nothing but a tirade of insults.—
Tom Jurkowsky,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But your committee chair is begging for it to be extended and saying there's no misuse of it.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
Warren Fairley — who took over for a short stint as Boilermakers president in 2023 after its executive council ousted longtime leader Jones over misuse of union funds — and Jones’ son, Cullen Jones, are scheduled for sentencing on June 30.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
To be a kid, though, was to be bullied.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
The Wolves bullied Denver with offensive rebounds throughout the night, even when bruising backup center Jonas Valanciunas was on the floor.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Democrats have attacked these anti-fraud policies as an effort to undermine safety net programs for the impoverished.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The latest war erupted on March 2, when, after holding its fire since a 2024 truce, Hezbollah launched a surprise barrage of missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for the United States and Israel attacking Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
First, locate the radiant to the left of the waning moon using a handy smartphone stargazing app.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
For Love in the Time of Cholera, 1989, for instance, Pau uses early Picture-in-Picture (PiP) technology to frame clips from Zuni’s 1988 October/Decameron stage performance, which then float, rotate, and cascade across the screen.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Bovino, who led much of the immigration enforcement operation in Chicago and the suburbs, as well as in Minnesota before retiring this year amid criticism, declined to appear before the commission.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Najib was in that position in 2011 when teenagers who scrawled antigovernment graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Towns tortured the Hawks, scoring 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists, marking the first triple-double of his playoff career.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The ruling was slammed by Democrats across the nation and by the three more liberal justices on the high court, who rejected the conservative majority’s characterization that its decision upheld the Voting Rights Act rather than gutted it.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Washington — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is putting tracking devices in airport vehicles after an Air Canada Express regional jet landing at LaGuardia Airport last month slammed into a fire truck on the runway, killing the plane’s two pilots.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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