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
Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2025
But recent operations targeting high-profile gang leaders have not led to any breakthroughs and instead raised concerns at the U.N., the Caribbean Community and elsewhere about collateral damage and human-rights abuses.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
The suit argued that California and the Environmental Protection Agency under President Biden were abusing their power by relying on the 1970s-era rule for fighting smog as a means of combating climate change in the 21st century.
—David G. Savage, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
As reported in a 2021 Rolling Stone exposé, more than a dozen women came forward with allegations of abuse against Manson, real name Brian Warner, including Evan Rachel Wood, actress Esmé Bianco, model Ashley Morgan, and Warner’s former personal assistant, Ashley Walters.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2025
But recent operations targeting high-profile gang leaders have not led to any breakthroughs and instead raised concerns at the U.N., the Caribbean Community and elsewhere about collateral damage and human-rights abuses.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025
Verb
My approach has always been to use but never abuse that trust.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
The suit argued that California and the Environmental Protection Agency under President Biden were abusing their power by relying on the 1970s-era rule for fighting smog as a means of combating climate change in the 21st century.
—David G. Savage, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
Under it, anyone who defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, heir apparent, or regent faces three to 15 years in prison.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
26 June 2025
-
In the video, Songz is seen locked in a tense exchange with an unidentified man, with both hurling insults and threats in an escalating war of words.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
There were 11 deaths resulting from fireworks misuse or malfunction.—
Maddie Carr
July 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 July 2025
-
Of the 11 deaths that occurred in 2024, all were said to have followed either misuse of fireworks or malfunctions.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
For years, Griffin never talked about being bullied as a child.—
Brad Schmitt,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
-
Well, in Alva’s case, in the months after her very public divorce, the New York Times society column straight up bullied her by writing stories about all the super fun parties and balls her sister-in-law Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt threw while Alva was in exile.—
Alexis Nedd,
IndieWire,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Boone acknowledged that location will be key for Stroman, who can no longer attack hitters head-on at this stage of his career.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
-
This infection attacks your stomach lining and causes inflammation.—
Sayaka Blickenderfer,
Health,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
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
-
The treatment had never been used on a species of raptor before, but Ammann took a leap and sent them an email.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
The court decision triggered calls from Republicans and Democrats alike to fund the bill, as well as criticism about the impact of partisan politics on delaying a program focused on youth literacy.—
Cleo Krejci,
jsonline.com,
8 July 2025
-
That decision drew sharp criticism from European football chiefs.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Nicolás Maduro and his enforcers are running a criminal narco-terrorist dictatorship that jails political opponents, tortures dissidents, and crushes any hope of free expression.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
-
An immigration judge determined that he would likely be persecuted or tortured if deported to Guatemala again, and granted him an order protecting him from removal.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
Paul Krugman has referred to deficit hawks as ‘deficit scolds’, because the spend more time warning about the dangers of the deficit than fixing it.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
Musk and Gor reportedly clashed in Cabinet meetings where Musk scolded Gor over personnel disagreements in recent months.—
Ally Goelz,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://x0upouf933.proxynodejs.usequeue.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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