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
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
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
The movie begins with its hero’s struggles as the youngest member of the Jackson 5, a band of brothers abused into excellence by their father, Joe (played by Colman Domingo).
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 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
That says a lot about Michael rescuing other people who felt that they were being abused, mistreated.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
The movie begins with its hero’s struggles as the youngest member of the Jackson 5, a band of brothers abused into excellence by their father, Joe (played by Colman Domingo).
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abused
Verb
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Boerkircher, playing at Nebraska, bullied Hunter for more than 15 yards before Hunter ripped off his helmet.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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Lewis had previously bullied King and took advantage of his kind nature and limited mental capabilities, King’s relatives wrote in a GoFundMe post.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When the newlyweds arrive home, they are attacked by Naz and his henchman (played by Matt Willig).—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
27 Apr. 2026
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On Friday, April 24, cattle breeder Santiago Barrero San Román was attacked by the bull at the San Marcos Festival in the remote southern Spanish town of Beas de Segura, according to El País, ABC and La Razón.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Anthropic is also testing its latest Mythos model with a select group of companies; the Claude developer claims these restrictions are necessary to ensure the model can’t be misused upon a more public release.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
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In February, conservative filmmaker Joel Gilbert filed a complaint to the Federal Elections Committee alleging Swalwell misused campaign finance funds on child care for his three children.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both of those vulnerabilities were actively exploited in the wild.—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
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Workers put their bodies, livelihoods and lives on the line to oppose employers and governments that exploited physical laborers through inhumane working conditions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Higgins was tortured, interrogated and then was murdered.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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After the coup — in the story and in reality — opponents, civilians and those deemed suspicious were regularly kidnapped and tortured.—
Laura Zornosa,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Krebs slammed the puck home to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Carlsson slammed a shot off Ingram’s right pad that Granlund popped home for his first goal of the spring.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 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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Two snakes, believed to be cobras, were used in the show, officials said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Today, the same tools are being used by state actors for geopolitical propaganda.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abused. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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