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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abuse
Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
Substance abuse was forbidden, though late in her tenure Daedone was alleged to have thrown some LSD into the mix.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025
On Friday, California’s 4th District Court of Appeal said that the city violated California’s Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, and abused its power in putting the ballot measure before voters without the proper analysis.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Noun
According to Bookman, his partner was struggling with substance abuse and was barely able to stay afloat, even with the success of his invention.
—Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
Substance abuse was forbidden, though late in her tenure Daedone was alleged to have thrown some LSD into the mix.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Ticketmaster is trying to address the lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission with several moves intended to block scalpers from abusing the platform.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025
On Friday, California’s 4th District Court of Appeal said that the city violated California’s Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, and abused its power in putting the ballot measure before voters without the proper analysis.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuse
Noun
-
With every enemy dead, the familiar sounds of the Halo universe are gone — there’s no Grunts squeaking insults or Jackals chattering in another language.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
-
And the West Colonnade got its own upgrade, complete with an insult for former President Joe Biden.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Opponents, including Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, have cautioned that granting unchecked presidential authority over state military forces could erode federalism and lead to misuse of military power in domestic situations.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The church must name abuse as sin and reject any misuse of Scripture that justifies endurance in violence.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cipher bullies other characters across the season about their powers, but because of Andre and Polarity’s degenerative abilities, this underscores the eugenics behind his beliefs.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
-
He was wrapped up in a high-profile bullying scandal during the 2013 season.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the game, Elliott operated as the right ‘No 10’ (attacking midfielder), passing neatly and playing well in a first half that only offered promise in spurts.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
All patients were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy drugs that help the immune system recognize and attack tumor cells more effectively.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cousin, who is CEO of FSF Ventures, a nonprofit focused on sustainable food business models, believes investments like AI will help spur productivity in land already used for cultivation.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
-
One post on the platform included a screenshot of a season 4 scene where Will uses a conversation about Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to reveal his true feelings for Mike.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cuomo told reporters that Mamdani’s criticism of Israel had made Jewish people afraid to leave their homes.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Although there seems to be a lot of fan criticism towards Aleister Black and Zelina Vega's debut entrance as a couple on SmackDown, there are also fans who appeared to be in favor of the look.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In another film with a less happy outcome, the woman who claims to be the amnesiac’s wife is an impostor who ends up torturing him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Khaled was briefly transferred to Ofer Prison, where Adnan al-Bursh, an orthopedic surgeon who once led Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, had died in 2024, after being tortured.—
Mosab Abu Toha,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
George Clooney is looking back at one of the more surreal moments from his early Hollywood days — getting personally scolded by the legendary Frank Sinatra.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
26 Oct. 2025
-
That is the adage used to scold someone whose gaze is fixed on a particular subject a little too long.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuse. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share