abuses 1 of 2

noun

plural of abuse
1
as in insults
harsh insulting language hometown fans hurled abuse at the visiting team

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misuses
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

abuses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of abuse
1
as in bullies
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 attacks
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 perverts
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 exploits
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 abuses
Noun
Transparentem attributed the delays partly to disagreements over who should pay for abuses beyond brands’ first-tier suppliers. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026 The United States first designated him in 2010 over serious human rights abuses following Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Guzmán said the fraud allegations could fuel protests against de la Espriella's government among Colombians who are already concerned that his anti-crime policies could lead to human rights abuses by security forces. — Manuel Rueda, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026 But it must be followed with a deep dive to detect other abuses. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 To safeguard against these abuses of power, democracies like the UK and US have hearings, committees, and other measures to hold their intelligence bodies accountable, said Shetler-Jones. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026 Exposure of the abuses, legal battles, and an independent living movement caused a major shift toward integration. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 31 July 2026 Further abuses have been recorded everywhere from big cities like Los Angeles and Milwaukee to small towns in South Carolina and Illinois. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 30 July 2026 Fujimori, the daughter of a former president jailed for human rights abuses, has become Peru’s ninth president in a decade. — Franklin Briceño, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026
Verb
Before more cameras appear, your community deserves clear answers about who can search the records, how long the data stays available and what happens when someone abuses access. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 New York City’s child welfare agency routinely abuses its emergency power to take children from their parents without a court order, creating lifelong consequences for families, a new class-action lawsuit seeking to end the practice alleged Thursday. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026 People deserve a government that watches out for our people’s best interests, not one that abuses its powers and sells us to the highest bidder. — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 According to Lewkowitz, if a grower abuses the soil, the system ceases to be viable, leaving zero likelihood of success from a sustainability standpoint. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026 Under my watch, anyone who abuses wildlife in Florida will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026 Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve. — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026 The insurer said during a Senate committee hearing that Nutex abuses the independent dispute resolution process, which was intended by the federal No Surprises Act to be a last resort in cases where providers and health insurers can’t agree on what should be paid for out-of-network care. — Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026 As a child, Heathcliff’s main tormenter is Cathy’s brother, Hindley, who physically abuses Heathcliff and forces him to work in the stables as a servant. — Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abuses
  1. insults
  2. misuses
  3. bullies
  4. attacks
  5. exploits
  6. criticisms
  7. tortures
  8. slams
Noun
  • There’s blood and insults and exasperation and pain and horror.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The amendment aims to prevent players from hiding insults or other abuse — including discriminatory remarks — behind their hand, arm or jersey.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of insults
Noun
  • Courts will most likely need to draft rules around prompt injection, too, Spader suggested, since Elliott’s case shows the technology and its misuses are rapidly advancing.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Does Janoff recognize that the prosecution of Trump by state Attorney General Leticia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg were misuses of that power?
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of misuses
Verb
  • Williams called Valkyries fans bullies in an Instagram Live stream earlier this week, and by Friday night, Chase Center had the receipts.
    — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
  • Sweden’s Hien had no idea how to stop Brobbey’s darting runs when looking to connect with crosses from out wide and the striker routinely bullies bigger boys before either scoring or creating for others.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Definition of bullies
Verb
  • Meanwhile, donning night-vision giggles, Knoxville gleefully attacks them with trash can lids and tasers.
    — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Yellow-legged hornets, an invasive species that attacks honeybee colonies, have been spotted in North Carolina for the first time.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • Experts from Socure, IBM, and Accenture highlight that AI fraud exploits employees, payment systems, and decision-makers.
    — Ray Fernandez, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Unfortunately, marketing often exploits these vulnerabilities.
    — J. Todd R. Lawrence, STAT, 27 July 2026
Definition of exploits
Noun
  • Some scientists in the room said Kennedy’s expressions of appreciation were difficult to hear after his previous criticisms of the CDC, as well as federal health department cuts last year that included hundreds of positions at the agency.
    — Lena H. Sun, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The movie itself disappoints him for its deviations from the Stephen King novel (including this detail may help preempt criticisms over this adaptation), but he’s also distracted by the presence of a strikingly handsome stranger (Homer Gere).
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticisms
Verb
  • After Max tortures them in a mock-trial confrontation in their living room, Tom eventually tackles Max into the backyard pool.
    — Benjamin VanHoose, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
  • On his latest Hyperdub release, the Japanese producer born Takahide Higuchi sings more than on previous records but tortures his voice through a gauntlet of pitch-shifter effects.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026
Definition of tortures
Verb
  • Or father, for that matter, especially after Sebastiano repeatedly slams his son’s head against a sink.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This is happening as a demographic shift to an older, grayer population slams Colorado.
    — Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
Definition of slams

Browse Nearby Words

abusers
abuses
abusing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abuses. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on abuses

Nglish: Translation of abuses for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All