abuse
verb (used with object)
to use wrongly or improperly; misuse.
was abusing
-
past progressiveof abuse.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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 the European Commission said WhatsApp was an "important entry point" for AI chatbots like ChatGPT to reach people, and claimed Meta was abusing its dominant position by blocking them.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026
In 2016, Michael sent a cease-and-desist letter to Saks’s management explaining that his mother wasn’t of sound mind and that Kwatra was abusing his position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025
Botha, while acknowledging the camp was overcrowded, denied that Malawi was abusing the rights of the refugees.
From Reuters ● May 26, 2023
“The protection scheme has become a scheme of control,” he said from Argentina, where he fled last month after denouncing an alleged plot to strip him of protection by claiming he was abusing it.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 1, 2022
When Daniel O'Connell denounced Disraeli as "the heir-at-law of the blasphemous thief who died on the cross," he was abusing him, not for his home life, but as a public figure.
From The Book of This and That by Robert Lynd
