as in maltreated
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1
as in bullied
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 attacked
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
a demanding, difficult patient who constantly abuses the nurses and aides
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in misused
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in exploited
to take unfair advantage of
abused his parents' trust, pilfering small amounts from them that he hoped they wouldn't notice
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abused
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
This trashy horror-thriller centers on an abused boy (Max Thieriot) who grows up to wreak havoc on a suburban town and the teenager (Lawrence) who cares about him.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2025
Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 19 May 2026
The 68-year-old pharmacist has targeted a House ethics investigation into whether Collins abused taxpayer funds by hiring the girlfriend of his former chief of staff — now his campaign adviser — for work that the woman allegedly did not perform.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abused
Adjective
There’s Manny, Zitzs and EZ, who has a way with the girls; Izzy, an abused boy who hides his family’s secrets, and Gloria, as good at sports as the boys and so fierce nobody teases her little sister about her stutter.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
This trashy horror-thriller centers on an abused boy (Max Thieriot) who grows up to wreak havoc on a suburban town and the teenager (Lawrence) who cares about him.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
Such tools can remotely hack into phones and have been abused repeatedly by governments around the world that have used them not only to counter national security threats, but also to spy on political rivals, diplomats, human rights activists and journalists.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 19 May 2026
The 68-year-old pharmacist has targeted a House ethics investigation into whether Collins abused taxpayer funds by hiring the girlfriend of his former chief of staff — now his campaign adviser — for work that the woman allegedly did not perform.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abused
Verb
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Pratt alleged that volunteers have been bullied, harassed, and have been trying to get Bass’s attention.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2026
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Because in the middle of all of this was a little girl who had been bullied by a group of men, and her mother wanted an apology.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Carney said antisemites in Canada have fired bullets at Jewish schools and thrown firebombs at synagogues and attacked community centers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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Thousands of mail carriers across the United States were attacked by dogs in 2025, with Los Angeles topping the list for most attacks, according to a new report from the United States Postal Service.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Agency chair says data has been misused Early indications of the EEOC's plan to stop gathering data came a year ago.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
1 June 2026
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The real goal is to identify the actual point of compromise, such as where the data is being misused, who the rogue actor is, which account is the victim, which account is the mule and where the money is really going.—
Muhammad Azeem,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
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This must include continuous exposure management, identity context, telemetry correlation, human-in-the-loop controls and the ability to validate and simulate adversary paths before they are exploited.—
Tom Kellermann,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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On top of this, one of the best methods for destabilising a block is to use runners in behind to drag defenders around and open space that can be exploited by other players.—
Jon Mackenzie,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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You’d get tortured or killed for just expressing yourself.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2026
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Tursun, 36, told us that her newborn son — one of triplets — had been killed by the Chinese Communist Party and that she was tortured in internment camps.—
Michael Arkush,
Twin Cities,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
That window has not slammed shut.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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Overnight, a Russian drone slammed into a Romanian building.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The Constitution has been perverted in ways by administrations on both sides of the aisle to facilitate military action.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
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Organized sports can easily be perverted.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Washington Nationals used Richard Lovelady, who blew Monday’s series opener, as an opener, followed by veteran Miles Mikolas for a bulk appearance, their most promising combination given their roster construction and arms available.—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
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Beyond the glass wall is a long wooden deck with a small dining table and a full-sized day bed (which can also be used for sleeping at night).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abused. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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