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
John Hopewell, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Parents said they were told the dismissal was not the result of criminal wrongdoing or abuse allegations.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Marina Abramović allowed gallery goers to abuse her for six hours.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
Luna, a misunderstood teenager, is accused of abuse by her father and sent to a juvenile detention center.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Parents said they were told the dismissal was not the result of criminal wrongdoing or abuse allegations.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
Here’s a sampling For years, Jeffrey Epstein abused teen girls, police say.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Marina Abramović allowed gallery goers to abuse her for six hours.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
In what could be a scene straight out of the official Netflix movie, a comment intended as an insult instead galvanized the troops.—
Natalie Jarvey,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The article does not even state the names of all the candidates in the race, an insult to those who polled higher than Leon.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The state released an audit in 2024 that found that failures by the state’s Education Department led to the misuse of a Covid-era program.—
Maggie Vespa,
NBC news,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Several Democrats in the state privately cautioned Walz against seeking reelection as outrage intensified in Minnesota and beyond over the misuse of funds.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For the second game running, Omari Hutchinson was too easily bullied off the ball in a dangerous area.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Though the basics are similar, the improvements and extras combine to bully its predecessor into storage, and the Roadie 4 now has pride of place in the accessories cubby of my guitar's travel case.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Kyiv — Russia attacked Ukraine with a hypersonic Oreshnik missile overnight Thursday, a rare use of one of its most advanced weapons during the latest onslaught targeting the country amid freezing temperatures.—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 242 drones and 36 missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said Friday morning.—
Morgan Winsor,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Privacy and partners Lenovo built Qira using a hybrid AI architecture.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Soft, spreadable butter that can be used instantly on toast and biscuits, or in baking recipes for cookies, cakes, and more.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And cornerback Mike Jackson, who had four pass breakups and an interception in the playoff game, dismissed criticism of Evero’s play-calling on the defense’s final drive.—
Mike Kaye
Updated January 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The couple, who did not grow up knowing one another because of estrangements in their families, faced criticism from both sets of parents for the union.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Still, whatever validity there is to his pain, Peter becomes a high priest of hallucination and Coon’s tortured Agnes his disciple.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
In Chechnya, a region in southern Russia with a predominantly Muslim population, authorities launched an open hunt for gay men—police rounded them up and tortured many of them, with some being killed.—
Mikhail Zygar,
Vanity Fair,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Marshall tossed an overhead pass to Flagg, who slammed in a dunk.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Donald Trump‘s administration has once again been slammed by an artist for using their music without permission, this time receiving a comment from an unhappy Olivia Rodrigo after the White House and Department of Homeland Security shared a video set to one of her songs.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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