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
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
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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
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
At this point, The Boys has evolved into a series whose former lead, Hughie, is an abused, sidelined character, whereas Marie Moreau has that role in a way that feels more coherent.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
But like any power, it can be abused.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abused
Adjective
Shelters aren’t just full of abused or difficult dogs.
—Verb
Researchers, however, uncovered a long-running malware operation that abused that trust on a massive scale.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for abused
Verb
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For the second game running, Omari Hutchinson was too easily bullied off the ball in a dangerous area.—
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By the time Zoe turns up dead, stabbed to death in her bathtub, Anna begins to put the pieces together that Lexi, her work nemesis, is actually Catherine—the girl her friends had bullied at school.—
Verb
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Crabtree stopped, turned, attacked the ball and snagged it.—
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Nelson claimed to police that the man attacked her and their son after opening the car door.—
Verb
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Ice buckets in hotel rooms can carry germs if not used with a liner, as they've occasionally been misused in unsanitary ways.—
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And, if federal officials determine a state has misused funds, they can be withheld, reduced or clawed back.—
Verb
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All three of his passing touchdowns exploited either a safety or linebacker, per Next Gen Stats.—
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Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.—
Verb
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The attorneys for the Department of Justice argued that the preliminary injunction blocking Abrego Garcia’s removal to Liberia should be dissolved because the government received assurances from the government of the West African country that he will not be persecuted or tortured.—
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Of the few that have arrived in what Saraf describes as a small agricultural town, many have reported being beaten and tortured by different militia groups stationed along the treacherous route between El Fasher and Tawila.—
Verb
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Wilson slammed Homeland Security officials for the shooting that came a day after a woman was fatally shot by immigration agents in Minneapolis.—
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Many Democrats have slammed the administration's conclusions, arguing that the video does not appear to show the woman trying to hit officers.—
Verb
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Murry corrupted and perverted and destroyed Katherine both as a person and a writer […] Her gifts were those of an intense realist, with a superb sense of ironic humour and fundamental cynicism.—
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Even more poignant, however, is the Rosemary's Baby angle, where the innocence of childhood is drowned in blood and the notion that a young person reared in a loving environment should develop into a compassionate adult is perverted into unthinkable horror.—
Verb
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However, Corbett was used as a utility fill-in starter at left guard, center and right guard for the remainder of the season.—
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Elisa, a Concord resident who asked that her last name not be used, said the incident reflects a broader sense of fear within communities.—
Cite this Entry
“Abused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abused. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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