as in insulting
marked by harsh insulting language
never one to believe that honorable people can disagree honorably, he invariably launches abusive attacks against anyone who dares to challenge him
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of abusive
More than 5,000 posts containing abusive, discriminatory or threatening content.
—
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Multiple women told the outlet Gaiman sent them money after their abusive relationships ended and forced them to sign nondisclosure agreements.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2025
The San Diego Rodeo was held for the first time at Petco Park last January — no rodeo had been held in the city since the 1980s before then — and it was protested by animal-rights advocates who called it cruel and abusive.
—Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2025
Talk about the powerful exchange between Bis [Chyna McQueen] and Millie about their abusive mother’s house being haunted and essentially packed with generational trauma during the second episode.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for abusive 
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Multiple women told the outlet Gaiman sent them money after their abusive relationships ended and forced them to sign nondisclosure agreements.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2025
The San Diego Rodeo was held for the first time at Petco Park last January — no rodeo had been held in the city since the 1980s before then — and it was protested by animal-rights advocates who called it cruel and abusive.
—Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2025
Talk about the powerful exchange between Bis [Chyna McQueen] and Millie about their abusive mother’s house being haunted and essentially packed with generational trauma during the second episode.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for abusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive
Adjective
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There would be nothing more insulting to our democracy, and to the memory of those who died in connection to that day, than letting rioters walk free.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
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This disastrous budget is even more insulting as Los Angeles County grapples with the devastation from four major fires.—
Bill Essayli,
Orange County Register,
11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The two franchises eventually crossed over with the Warriors Orochi games, which mashes up characters from both titles alongside original ones for an outrageous kitchen sink approach with a fantasy bend.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
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The kit takes what is already a pretty outrageous sports car and outfits it with an aggressive aero package that features a front lip spoiler, a whole array of fins, and an even larger rear wing that retains the standard version’s DRS functionality.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yes, this is an obscene price for a Qi wireless charger.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
19 Jan. 2025
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Still, justices questioned whether that might put the cost of protecting kids from obscene content online on phone makers like Apple or Google rather than the sites being regulated.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But offensive productivity like the Lions have experienced doesn’t happen by accident either.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
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Both Mississippi State and Auburn rank in the top 40 nationally in offensive rebounding rate.—
CJ Moore,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Ultimately, the debate over the ability of malicious hackers to trigger a continent-wide blackout is moot and a distraction from the issue that really matters.—
Dan Goodin,
Ars Technica,
23 Jan. 2025
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Android users can also keep Google Play Protect enabled to scan for malicious code—even on sideloaded apps.—
Kate Irwin,
PCMAG,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s vituperative persona, his enmity toward multilateralism, and his extreme policy agenda could easily sink the United States’ prospects for meaningful leadership of the G-20.—
Leslie Vinjamuri,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Nov. 2024
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Unlike Rhoades, a vituperative colossus, however, Williams brings a steely determination and a Joe Friday, just-the-facts mien to his lawyering in the court of public opinion.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Facts won’t deter Republicans on this point, however, for the same reason that Trump and his running mate, J. D. Vance, keep repeating their scurrilous lies about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of Ohio: white anxiety about a diversifying country has become one of the Party’s greatest assets.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
The New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2024
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And Harriman was certainly subject to gossip, some of it scurrilous and sexist.—
Margaret Talbot,
The New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Newsletter On Politics In an era of invective and distrust, two California candidates turned a tie over to chance.—
Jess Bidgood,
New York Times,
19 Dec. 2024
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Once more, Donald Trump’s lawyers are attempting to override the guilty verdict of a jury in the Manhattan hush money case, asking the court to toss it while slinging invective at the office of District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which successfully won Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts this year.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near abusive
Cite this Entry
“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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