abuse
noun
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Definition of abuse
(Entry 1 of 2)
abuse
verb
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Definition of abuse (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from abuse
Verb
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adjective
Synonyms for abuse
Synonyms: Noun
billingsgate, fulmination, invective, obloquy, scurrility, vitriol, vituperation
Synonyms: Verb
brutalize, bully, ill-treat, ill-use, kick around, maltreat, manhandle, mess over [slang], mishandle, mistreat, misuse
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Examples of abuse in a Sentence
Noun
He subjected his wife to physical and emotional abuse. the buying of votes and other election abuses She was subjected to every term of abuse her boss could think of. a torrent of verbal abuse The prisoner hurled abuse at the judge.Verb
He was accused of sexually abusing a child. He abused his body with years of heavy drinking. He had abused his first car by not taking care of it. She abused her friend's trust. a senator who abuses his power He abused my confidence by letting this secret be known.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Christopher Alguin, who had a history of mental illness and substance abuse, pleaded guilty last year to two counts of making a criminal threat with a knife and a hate crime allegation. — Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Hate crimes cataloged: Five years of malice and spite in San Diego County," 30 Aug. 2019 Utt and Tullock’s writing brushes the depths of humanity, including parental neglect, abandonment, domestic abuse and even the complications of estate planning (or lack thereof). — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Before You Know It’ is a charming but messy take on family love," 29 Aug. 2019 In this feature, these women recount how, at the hands of the families of their deceased husbands, they’ve been subjected to abuse, forced starvation, and other horrors. — Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, "What Would Help Puerto Rico?: raceAhead," 28 Aug. 2019 Faced with these new challenges, the old laws leave many workers without adequate protections against workplace abuses, or even totally exclude some workers from any protections at all. — Jeffrey Hirsch, The Conversation, "Worker-protection laws aren’t ready for an automated future," 28 Aug. 2019 The abuse, spanning several years, was devaluing beyond measure and affected my ability to form and maintain healthy relationships, both in my work and my personal life. — Emanuella Grinberg, CNN, "Jeffrey Epstein's accusers had their day in court, but not in the way they had hoped for," 27 Aug. 2019 Up to 30 of Epstein's accusers spoke out about their alleged abuse on Tuesday, before a judge who will decide whether the indictment against Epstein will be dropped. — Grace Segers, CBS News, "Democratic Women's Caucus calls on Congress to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's death," 27 Aug. 2019 Back in 1975, in the pages of The New York Review of Books, at the height of the congressional hearings into C.I.A. abuses, including MK-ULTRA, the journalist I. F. Stone proposed the abolition of the C.I.A., on grounds not unlike these. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "Are Spies More Trouble Than They’re Worth?," 26 Aug. 2019 The Patriots tight end picture got a little more complicated Saturday when veteran Lance Kendricks was suspended for the season opener for violating the NFL’s policy and program on substance abuse, the league announced. — Jim Mcbride, BostonGlobe.com, "Patriots’ Lance Kendricks suspended one game for violating NFL’s drug policy," 24 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
She had been given a 25-year sentence for abusing her power. — The Economist, "Politics this week," 29 Aug. 2019 The suit accuses Sutter, which is headquartered in Sacramento, of abusing its market power to inflate prices. — Catherine Ho, SFChronicle.com, "‘Landmark’ antitrust case against Sutter over health prices nears trial," 24 Aug. 2019 The settlement underlines the wide range of customers Wells Fargo has been accused of abusing. — Matt Egan, CNN, "Wells Fargo is paying the Navajo Nation $6.5 million to settle allegations of shady sales tactics," 23 Aug. 2019 He was accused of abusing underage girls and of directing some of them to pleasure some of his rich and powerful friends, including Andrew. — Martha Ross, The Mercury News, "As Jeffrey Epstein’s houseguest, Prince Andrew received foot massages from young Russian women, author reveals," 23 Aug. 2019 If convicted of abusing the 1-year-old, Hill faces up to 10 years in prison. — Ashley Remkus | Aremkus@al.com, al, "Man accused of abusing 1-year-old girl, blaming injuries on 4-year-old," 14 Aug. 2019 But the Boy Scouts of America were named in at least four suits and Rockefeller University, where Dr. Reginald Archibald is accused of abusing hundreds of boys, was named in two. — Steve Orr, USA TODAY, "Hundreds of child sex abuse claims filed on first day of New York's Child Victims Act," 14 Aug. 2019 Some of the criticism referenced a professional streamer with nearly one million followers named Natalia Mogollon, who was recently accused of abusing her pet cat in a viral video clip, but didn’t receive punishment from Twitch. — Louise Matsakis, WIRED, "This Is How Porn Ended Up on Ninja’s Zombie Twitch Channel," 13 Aug. 2019 An organization that couldn’t bring itself to move against child molester Larry Nassar for allegations of abusing gymnasts suddenly wants to sanction athletes for acts of conscience? — Sally Jenkins, chicagotribune.com, "Commentary: When athletes kneel, the rotten U.S. Olympic regime has no moral standing to object," 13 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abuse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.