How to Use abrasive in a Sentence

abrasive

1 of 2 adjective
  • The waves had an abrasive action on the rocks.
  • The right way to use it isn’t abrasive.
    — Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Use an abrasive sponge to scrub away the mess.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Then scrub with a non-abrasive sponge or brush.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Then scrub with a non-abrasive sponge or brush.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Then, take a non-abrasive sponge and scrub.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 5 June 2026
  • Then, take a non-abrasive sponge and scrub.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Then, take a non-abrasive sponge and scrub.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Then, take a non-abrasive sponge and scrub.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Don't scrub your pan with steel wool or an abrasive pad.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
  • Scrub with a soft brush or non-abrasive sponge, then rinse and dry.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Scrub the grates with an old rag or abrasive dish sponge and rinse well.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 10 June 2026
  • Scrub the grates with an old rag or abrasive dish sponge and rinse well.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 27 June 2026
  • Scrub the grates with an old rag or abrasive dish sponge and rinse well.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Scrub the grates with an old rag or abrasive dish sponge and rinse well.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Scrub the grates with an old rag or abrasive dish sponge and rinse well.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
  • Rinse again, then scrub the carafe and the plunger with a non-abrasive sponge or brush.
    — Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 10 Feb. 2023
  • Don't use steel wool or anything too abrasive.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Scrub the door with a non-abrasive sponge or foam cleaning pad.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Scrub the door with a non-abrasive sponge or foam cleaning pad.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Scrub the door with a non-abrasive sponge or foam cleaning pad.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Make sure to be gentle, as this is a more abrasive method than dish soap.
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Protect against abrasive sand, dirt, and grit.
    — Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2025
  • The starter kit comes with the mild, abrasive cleaning paste and a unique sponge.
    — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Dirty or dry cloths can be abrasive, so make sure to always use a clean cloth.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Beater bars can also be too abrasive on this type of floor.
    — Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Around town, Lake has cut an abrasive figure.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
  • Toughness in a man can be seen as abrasive or off-putting in a women.
    — Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
  • Most of the time, this gentle, abrasive powder will do the job.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 May 2026
  • Apply the paste to the stain and gently scrub with a non-abrasive sponge.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026

abrasive

2 of 2 noun
  • Use one half of your lemon as a natural abrasive and sponge at at the same time!
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Use one half of your lemon as a natural abrasive and sponge at at the same time!
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Use one half of your lemon as a natural abrasive and sponge at at the same time!
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The rice acts as a gentle abrasive to clean hard-to-reach areas.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Even baking powder can work as a mild abrasive.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025
  • Don’t use harsh abrasives or metal tools that can scratch the non-stick coating.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
  • The most important thing to factor in here is to avoid the use abrasives of any kind.
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The baking soda will act as an abrasive when scrubbing to get rid of tough stains.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 May 2026
  • Baking soda is a mild abrasive that can remove both.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The ash acts as a mild abrasive, helping lift residue without scratching.
    — Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Most plants cannot survive the abrasive, shifting nature of sand.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Salt works best as a cleaning abrasive when paired with warm water or an acid, like lemon juice or vinegar.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 4 May 2026
  • The first two stages use the diamond abrasives to hone knife edges, and then the third stage smooths and refines the blade.
    — Meg Carney, Field & Stream, 21 Sep. 2023
  • The baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive to help remove residue.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Stubborn marks may need a gentle abrasive that won't scratch off paint finishes.
    — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, 7 Aug. 2020
  • The baking soda adds a gentle abrasive to lift stubborn grease.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 24 Jan. 2026
  • The salt acts as an abrasive without damaging the pan's surface.
    — Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2023
  • While the abrasive also has a big impact, slow-speed air sanders tend to bog down on softer surfaces like wood.
    — Bob Beacham, chicagotribune.com, 12 Sep. 2020
  • This will act as a gentle abrasive and degreaser to work the stuck spots and pull all loose food particles.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2023
  • This will act as a gentle abrasive and degreaser to work the stuck spots and pull all loose food particles.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
  • For this method, the hot water softens the glue and the baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive to scrub it away.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 30 Dec. 2025
  • For this method, the hot water softens the glue and the baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive to scrub it away.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Do not use abrasives to clean quartz counters; even cleaning with baking soda should be avoided.
    — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 June 2026
  • The tool has three sides, each with a different abrasive that’s designed for dry sharpening.
    — Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 24 May 2023
  • The mild abrasive helps cut through residue from tree sap, road film, and environmental fallout.
    — John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2026
  • Baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive to remove the scratches.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The salt acts as a gentle abrasive, while the lemon's acidity neutralizes odors.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
  • This is an electric sharpener that uses diamond discs as the abrasive to hone knives.
    — Laura Denby, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2022
  • Toothpaste Choose a white paste toothpaste (not gel) to act as a gentle abrasive to help buff away light scratches.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and has been used as an industrial abrasive.
    — Mark Thiessen, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Mar. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abrasive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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