ill-using

verb

present participle of ill-use
as in abusing
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon some of the employees felt so ill-used by the new manager that they quit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-using
  1. abusing
  2. bullying
  3. torturing
Verb
  • Communities from Lansing, Michigan, to Pflugerville, Texas, are ending their relationship with Flock, largely over concerns regarding out-of-control surveillance, unwanted data sharing, high expenses, and reports of police abusing the tool.
    — Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Countless cops, meanwhile, are abusing the cameras to stalk women.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • Trump has been bullying Canada since the start of his second term.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The source said the TCU staff was aware of mounting tensions, but viewed it as just a part of competitive football in fall camp, not bullying.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • The shape-shifting eldritch entity of mysterious origins relishes torturing children.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But, if not, then stop using the existence of those goals as a way of torturing yourself.
    — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of torturing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ill-uses
ill-using
illusion
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Cite this Entry

“Ill-using.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-using. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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