abuse
verb (used with object)
to use wrongly or improperly; misuse.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But critics say these programs generally focus on environmental crimes and overlook labor abuses on ships.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
The action by Vance’s antifraud task force targets Microsoft, Adobe and several tech recruiting companies over what officials have alleged are widespread abuses of the visa system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Mass defections erode loyalty, expose human-rights abuses and signal internal instability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"This is no time to return anyone forcibly to a country plagued by egregious human rights violations and abuses," UN rights chief Volker Turk last week.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
The housing blogs of southern California teemed with stories of financial abuses made possible by these so-called thirty-year payment option ARMs, or adjustable-rate mortgages.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
