1
as in abusing
to put to a bad or improper use
an actor who misused his considerable talent by appearing in too many lousy movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bullying
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
sadly misused by the people he had trusted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misusing
In the 2000s, Andrew was repeatedly accused of misusing his position as a British trade envoy for his personal advantage.
—
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
Pro-housing groups saw CEQA as a tool development opponents were using to delay or kill projects and that construction unions were misusing to compel developers to employ their members.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Threats to your security are often also threats to your privacy and vice versa, since privacy is often about unwanted access to data, and security is often about what happens with that access and the harm that comes from misusing it.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The 51-year-old former assistant clerk magistrate has been indicted on charges related to misusing more than $71,000 in bail funds and forging a recognizance form to conceal her wrongdoing, according to the Massachusetts AG’s office.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
His conviction stemmed from a series of criminal schemes, including submitting false campaign finance documents, misusing donor identities to route funds for personal and campaign use, and providing fraudulent information to the New York State Department of Labor and the House of Representatives.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Some airports — including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International — are refusing to play the video, which has been criticized for misusing federal dollars to impose a partisan message on passengers waiting to be screened at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
That low percentage suggests that detention center staff are misusing strip searches, said Dana Flores, senior manager for youth justice in Colorado at the National Center for Youth Law.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
And more than 300 others have been accused of selling or misusing their benefits since January 2024, according to records obtained by Kentucky Public Radio.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
Pro-housing groups saw CEQA as a tool development opponents were using to delay or kill projects and that construction unions were misusing to compel developers to employ their members.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Threats to your security are often also threats to your privacy and vice versa, since privacy is often about unwanted access to data, and security is often about what happens with that access and the harm that comes from misusing it.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The 51-year-old former assistant clerk magistrate has been indicted on charges related to misusing more than $71,000 in bail funds and forging a recognizance form to conceal her wrongdoing, according to the Massachusetts AG’s office.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
His conviction stemmed from a series of criminal schemes, including submitting false campaign finance documents, misusing donor identities to route funds for personal and campaign use, and providing fraudulent information to the New York State Department of Labor and the House of Representatives.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Some airports — including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International — are refusing to play the video, which has been criticized for misusing federal dollars to impose a partisan message on passengers waiting to be screened at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
That low percentage suggests that detention center staff are misusing strip searches, said Dana Flores, senior manager for youth justice in Colorado at the National Center for Youth Law.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
And more than 300 others have been accused of selling or misusing their benefits since January 2024, according to records obtained by Kentucky Public Radio.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misusing
abusing
Verb
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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
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In March, Virginia Giuffre accused her husband of abusing her and her family later told several media outlets that the couple were engaged in a custody battle.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misusing. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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