MISUSED Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

misused

verb

past tense of misuse

as in abused

to put to a bad or improper use an actor who misused his considerable talent by appearing in too many lousy movies

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as in bullied

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon sadly misused by the people he had trusted

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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 misused In Brussels’ view, those weaknesses create a direct risk that EU funds can be misused without such abuse being properly detected or punished. — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2026 An officer with the Porter County Sheriff’s Department who misused the county’s license plate reader system has been demoted, suspended without pay and faced other disciplinary measures, according to a release from Sheriff Jeffery Balon. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Even supporters of the bill have voiced concerns about privacy and the possibility the data could be misused in the future. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Look for unfamiliar accounts or other signs that your information may have been misused. — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 Union officials who represent corrections officers at the BOP, however, say that the tablets may create safety concerns for staff and be misused. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Identity theft protection services can watch for signs that your information is being misused. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Flock Safety, which operates a nationwide network of license-plate-reading cameras used by police to track vehicles, announced new safeguards after reports that officers misused the system to surveil people. — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 Police allege Goodson, who has also been placed on administrative leave, misused the system because the victim was not part of a criminal investigation, the outlet reported. — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misused

abused

Verb

Furious season 1 wrapped up the case as Alice arrested Catherine at Jay Easton’s (Peter McRobbie) house — the site where Catherine and her friend Isabel (Larissa Campos) were abused.

— Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
That series revealed just how little many local police departments are doing to make sure street-camera data is not being abused.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of abused

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misuse

misused

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“Misused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misused. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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