ABRADE Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

abrade

verb

ə-ˈbrād

Definition of abrade

as in to erode

to damage or diminish by continued friction ropes abraded by the rocks were a huge danger to the climbers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to irritate

to make sore by continued rubbing my new running shoes abraded my heels until they blistered

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to scrape

to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface the yacht's once-flawless wooden hull had been badly abraded by years of rough dockings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abrade Prior to snapping its selfie, the rover had just finished abrading the rocky Arethusa outcrop. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 May 2026 Diatomaceous earth is an organic compound that kills ants by drying out and abrading their bodies. — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 3 May 2026 Loose-fitting covers can flap in the wind and abrade wicker surfaces. — Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025 Pockmarks and brittle edges show the abrading action of millennia of wind and rain. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abrade

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrade

Verb

Washington must take care, however, not to transfer defense responsibilities faster than allies can develop the capabilities to assume them—and not to do so in ways that erode trust, interoperability, and coordination.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
The deck replacement is necessary because traffic loads on the span have become increasingly heavy, and salt air has eroded bridge materials.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of erode

Verb

Here’s a guy who scraped his dollars together, came to the club, and out of all the people there, he gets pulled on stage by Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

— Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Personal information gets exposed through breaches, scraped from public sources and traded in criminal marketplaces.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of scrape

Verb

Test the plant’s health by lightly scratching the woody stems—healthy tissue beneath the bark will typically look green.

— Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 2026
The bear even takes time to exfoliate, using what appears to be a concrete barrier to scratch its back.

— Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of scratch

Browse Nearby Words

abracadabras

abrade

abraded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Abrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrade. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of abrade

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes