as in maltreated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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 abused
Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 29 July 2024
Defense lawyer Brian Russo argued that Bateman would benefit from mental health treatment, like the abused girls received.
—Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2024
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
The deputy asked authorities in Texas to check on the girl, and she was returned to Missouri, where child welfare officials had gotten a tip several months earlier that the girl was being abused.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abused
Adjective
That day came 22 years later when Laks started rescuing abused animals from a nearby petting zoo in California.
—Verb
Detectives also discovered that since March 2024, Powell physically abused the woman in past incidents.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for abused
Verb
-
Unfortunately for them, Steph won’t be bullied – even by paternalistic threats of being sued into oblivion.—
-
Ortiz alleged she was bullied, harassed and neglected by district staff, including the case manager.—
Verb
-
Workers who were motivated by their belief in public service are being attacked on a daily basis.—
-
The conflict began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.—
Verb
-
His methods made impressive profits quickly, as overlapping technologies were dropped and economies of scale exploited.—
-
Uncovering these vulnerabilities before they can be exploited is key to protecting users from those who would do them and their data harm.—
Verb
-
Councilmember Bob Holden slammed Hochul for this, arguing that the city and state simply need to enforce existing laws instead of changing them.—
-
The statement sparked outrage with GOP lawmakers, who slammed Allstate for not explicitly condemning terrorism.—
Verb
-
When used thoroughly, AI can allow faster decisions, boost output and shorten the time to market.—
-
Likewise, consumers should be aware of how their data is being used.—
Verb
-
This country is being manipulated by two people — and those too afraid to have the courage to oppose them.—
-
In Season 4 of the Max comedy, Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels have manipulated their way into their respective dream jobs as host and head writer of a late-night talk show on network TV.—
Verb
-
Mayor Adams is planning to travel to the Dominican Republic early next week to mourn the tragic Santo Domingo nightclub roof collapse that killed 221 people and left over 150 injured.—
-
Everyone onboard the Cessna 310 aircraft were killed in the fiery crash in Boca Raton, while a fourth person on the ground — who was driving at the time — was left injured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.—
Verb
-
The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the commission, by approving the plans, has violated their fundamental rights.—
-
Months later, the Department of Justice concluded that five Texas juvenile detention centers violated children's constitutional and civil rights.—
Cite this Entry
“Abused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abused. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share