1
as in insults
harsh insulting language
hometown fans hurled abuse at the visiting team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misuses
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 bullies
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 attacks
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 perverts
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 exploits
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 abuses
Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Among other things, the New York Times story portrayed Lively as Hollywood’s latest #MeToo crusader, courageously exposing workplace abuses against women.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Sometimes the dissenting voices that face the most censorship eventually prove to be particularly valuable to society for their efforts to report on abuses of power and spur reform.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Even so, critics say Nike should have pinpointed these abuses years ago through its monitoring processes.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
The majority of Indians in the Gulf are low-income, blue-collar workers, and many suffer from abuses, including wage theft, extortionate recruitment fees, and dangerous workplace conditions.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Netzah Yehuda is a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers that has been linked to abuses of Palestinian civilians in the past, including the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian American man after his detention by the battalion’s forces in 2022.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
McMorris added that public agencies ca,n be more vulnerable to contracting abuses without strong safeguards, pointing to practices such as limits on no-bid contracts, multi-level approval processes, regular audits and stricter controls on contract changes and cost overruns.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 28 Mar. 2026
The latest discovery coincides with growing concern among some Kenyans over rights abuses allegedly perpetrated by the police.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
During the tantrum, the child verbally abuses the parent and also destroys property within the home.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
The insurer said during a Senate committee hearing that Nutex abuses the independent dispute resolution process, which was intended by the federal No Surprises Act to be a last resort in cases where providers and health insurers can’t agree on what should be paid for out-of-network care.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Malware often abuses them to take control of your device.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
As a child, Heathcliff’s main tormenter is Cathy’s brother, Hindley, who physically abuses Heathcliff and forces him to work in the stables as a servant.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
In the final video, Pierce can be seen shirtless, with bruises showing, while Ruffin verbally abuses him, Facklam said.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
In the film, Victor emotionally abuses the Creature.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Among other things, the New York Times story portrayed Lively as Hollywood’s latest #MeToo crusader, courageously exposing workplace abuses against women.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Sometimes the dissenting voices that face the most censorship eventually prove to be particularly valuable to society for their efforts to report on abuses of power and spur reform.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Even so, critics say Nike should have pinpointed these abuses years ago through its monitoring processes.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
The majority of Indians in the Gulf are low-income, blue-collar workers, and many suffer from abuses, including wage theft, extortionate recruitment fees, and dangerous workplace conditions.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Netzah Yehuda is a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers that has been linked to abuses of Palestinian civilians in the past, including the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian American man after his detention by the battalion’s forces in 2022.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
McMorris added that public agencies ca,n be more vulnerable to contracting abuses without strong safeguards, pointing to practices such as limits on no-bid contracts, multi-level approval processes, regular audits and stricter controls on contract changes and cost overruns.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 28 Mar. 2026
The latest discovery coincides with growing concern among some Kenyans over rights abuses allegedly perpetrated by the police.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Under my watch, anyone who abuses wildlife in Florida will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
During the tantrum, the child verbally abuses the parent and also destroys property within the home.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
The insurer said during a Senate committee hearing that Nutex abuses the independent dispute resolution process, which was intended by the federal No Surprises Act to be a last resort in cases where providers and health insurers can’t agree on what should be paid for out-of-network care.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Malware often abuses them to take control of your device.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
As a child, Heathcliff’s main tormenter is Cathy’s brother, Hindley, who physically abuses Heathcliff and forces him to work in the stables as a servant.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
In the final video, Pierce can be seen shirtless, with bruises showing, while Ruffin verbally abuses him, Facklam said.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
In the film, Victor emotionally abuses the Creature.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuses
Noun
-
Laughs and insults, all expressed at a high volume, were guaranteed to follow.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Leilah Herrera, a player who left the USF team in 2021, said in a deposition video that the insults would fly every practice.—
Julia Haney,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Second, that the occasional misuses of that discretion would be few, far between, and manageable by the court system through robust testing and oversight.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
The Atlantic,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Collective action deters bullies Harvard never stood alone.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
-
There’s always a mean kid in your class who bullies everybody else.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Botulism occurs when people eat food contaminated with botulinum toxin, a potent toxin that attacks the body’s nervous system.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Global oil prices have surged as Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and attacks regional energy infrastructure, pushing Brent crude to around $107 a barrel, more than 45 percent higher than before the war began.—
Sam Stevenson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Somehow, though, these exploits make for dreary reading.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Consider how Russia exploits disasters and climate debates.—
Michael Chertoff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
What the city got from some within the police department was more than 80 pages of complaints, criticisms and concerns about then-police chief Mikael Dahlstrom, allegations that led to him resigning in November after the city decided not to carry out a formal investigation.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Scharf also began the discussion of the ballroom by pointing to past media criticisms of the construction of the White House under past presidents.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The retrospection tortures her.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Continue reading … ‘ABOMINATION’ — Turning Point USA slams Daily Mail over misleading Charlie Kirk murder coverage.—
,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The shop held monthly poetry slams and won numerous local awards for best bookstore in the city.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuses. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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