abrading 1 of 2

adjective

as in roughening

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abrading

2 of 2

verb

present participle of abrade
1
as in eroding
to damage or diminish by continued friction ropes abraded by the rocks were a huge danger to the climbers

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in irritating
to make sore by continued rubbing my new running shoes abraded my heels until they blistered

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scraping
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 abrading
Verb
Pockmarks and brittle edges show the abrading action of millennia of wind and rain. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 Prior to snapping its selfie, the rover had just finished abrading the rocky Arethusa outcrop. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrading
  1. irritating
  2. eroding
  3. scratching
  4. scraping
  5. wearing
  6. fraying
  7. rubbing
Adjective
  • Few workplace behaviors are as small, common and irritating as the message that goes unanswered.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • But Koppl traced a distinctly American lineage through a chain of precedents dating back more than 50 years, each one further eroding the market discipline that profit-and-loss accountability is supposed to provide.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026
  • McGraw Hill Higher Education cites a study by Gerlich (2025) at SBS Swiss Business School that reveals an over-reliance on AI tools is eroding critical thinking abilities.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of eroding
Verb
  • In a game not known for high scores, the pace of goals in this World Cup has left some fans scratching their heads.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • In April, when Rojas got news that his father had been rushed to the hospital, Roberts quickly took the decision on whether to play out of Rojas’ hands, scratching him from the lineup.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
Definition of scratching
Verb
  • Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with ⅓ cup sour cream in 2 additions (about 2½ tablespoons each), scraping down bowl as needed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 June 2026
  • Meanwhile the servers strain under the weight of AI companies scraping the encyclopedia in bulk, on a roughly $180 million annual budget funded mostly by donations of between two and eleven dollars.
    — Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of scraping
Verb
  • Doctors Without Borders health workers wearing personal protective equipment move through the isolated red zone to monitor patients, provide medical care and ensure sanitation at the Ebola Treatment Center in Munigi in Congo on June 2, 2026.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • Rodríguez Castro can be seen wearing a New York Yankees shirt, moving suggestively to driving percussive beats, punctuated by catchy, syncopated vocals.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • The same fear of a fraying dollar system is driving Russia and others toward bitcoin and pushing Wall Street to treat which reserve asset wins as a live question.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • And that net of community health workers who serve as links between families and this lifesaving treatment is fraying.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 13 June 2026
Definition of fraying
Verb
  • Plus, extra padding around the heel helps prevent rubbing during long days on your feet.
    — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
  • Continue rubbing until the friction lifts the residue from the fabric.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 2 July 2026
Definition of rubbing

Browse Nearby Words

abrades
abrading
abrasion
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Cite this Entry

“Abrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrading. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on abrading

Nglish: Translation of abrading for Spanish Speakers

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