How to Use abusive in a Sentence

abusive

adjective
  • The fans yelled abusive comments to the referee.
  • Gould guessed that they had been called in by an ex who had been abusive.
    — Larissa MacFarquhar, New Yorker, 28 May 2026
  • Her abusive partner has since died.
    — Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Jan. 2026
  • This abusive practice seems to have gained speed in recent years.
    — Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Among them was a mom of three trying to work up the courage to leave her abusive partner.
    — Essence, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The silent treatment and throwing out your things (twice) are abusive.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 20 July 2022
  • After that day, my ex became abusive.
    — Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • Drake also doubled down on his claims that Lamar was abusive.
    — Shaheem Reid, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
  • Carter went right into Rip mode, beating up this abusive dude.
    — William Earl, Variety, 15 May 2026
  • Andrews claimed that the financier was abusive.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
  • At 13, she was removed from an abusive home and put in foster care.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
  • That grasp, many former members and critics have said, was an abusive one.
    — Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 15 Dec. 2023
  • Justice has been meted out to one abusive mother.
    — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Hsiao-lee’s abusive parents constantly keep her on the edge.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
  • My father has been abusive to me my whole life, and I’ve been estranged from him for years.
    — Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023
  • And all the Papaya Games are governed by the same abusive terms.
    — Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2023
  • What might happen to pregnant women who are pushed down the stairs by an abusive partner?
    — Holly Thomas, CNN, 1 June 2022
  • The actors try to check in with children before and after abusive scenes.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
  • But Atre, who could be abrasive and abusive, made a lot of enemies.
    — Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
  • That, in turn, has led to an increase in rude and abusive customer behavior.
    — From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2021
  • Her mother left her abusive father when Hoover was a toddler.
    — Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2022
  • But the suspicion of abusive head trauma, once raised, is hard to undo.
    — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 29 Dec. 2024
  • One roommate drinks and becomes verbally abusive to me and his boyfriend.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Although off-screen, her abusive mother has a palpable hold over her.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Michael is given more space to grapple with his monstrous, abusive father.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 May 2026
  • Confining them to tanks in order to sell tickets is abusive.
    — Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
  • This woman could be abusive to a Black colleague and still be a great friend to all her white colleagues.
    — Minda Harts, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2021
  • Twin magicians take revenge on their abusive mother in the middle of their act.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Eve, a pregnant woman with an abusive ex, joined the series as the couple was looking to adopt.
    — Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 8 Feb. 2023
  • On Tuesday, Chokr again was abusive, but was on mute, and so his comments couldn't be heard.
    — Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 7 Dec. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abusive.' 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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