as in neglect
lack of use
since the car has experienced years of disuse, starting it up won't be easy
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Recent Examples of disuse
There are now more than two decades’ worth of experimental websites, art projects on defunct social networks, and vernacular digital images that have simply been lost to technological obsolescence and disuse.
—
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 7 May 2025
Muscle weakness can occur due to age, disuse or because of medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis or ALS.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 May 2025
The rescission power fell into disuse under Bill Clinton.
—The Editors, National Review, 10 Mar. 2025
So many mainstream film characters, especially ones assigned to women, act like windup dolls that sputter into disuse when their scenes end.
—Julia Whelan Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disuse
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 7 May 2025
Muscle weakness can occur due to age, disuse or because of medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis or ALS.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 May 2025
The rescission power fell into disuse under Bill Clinton.
—The Editors, National Review, 10 Mar. 2025
So many mainstream film characters, especially ones assigned to women, act like windup dolls that sputter into disuse when their scenes end.
—Julia Whelan Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disuse
Noun
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Common causes include legacy storage, a lack of metadata and cost‑driven neglect.—
Daniel Fallmann,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Now, as a photojournalist working with the Kansas City Defender and as the creator of the upcoming podcast Fountain City Files, Harrison focuses on stories involving missing Black women, systemic failures in law enforcement and community neglect.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While Beijing hasn’t gone as far as Moscow, its quiet abandonment of the denuclearization goal marks a subtle yet consequential shift – one that could open the door to closer China-North Korea ties, or even bolster momentum for trilateral cooperation with Russia, Zhao said.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
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People can handle uncertainty, but not abandonment.—
Daisy Auger-Domínguez,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Despite personality friction within the reggae-assimilating band even after decades of inactivity as a unit, The Police successfully undertook a lucrative reunion world tour from 2007-2008 that reportedly earned the group over $360 million, becoming one of the highest grossing tours of all-time.—
Mike Alleyne,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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In addition, the plan is to launch an education and awareness initiative on screen time, one of the causes of inactivity, which will be led by the surgeon general.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disuse. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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