misuse

Plural: misuses

Noun

improper or excessive use
An incorrect, improper or unlawful use of something.

Verb

Verb Forms: misused, misusing, misuses

To use something incorrectly, improperly, or for a wrong purpose.
apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly
change the inherent purpose or function of something
- "The director of the factory misused the funds intended for the health care of his workers"
To use (something) incorrectly.
To abuse or mistreat (something or someone).
To rape (a woman); later more generally, to sexually abuse (someone).
To abuse verbally, to insult.

Examples

To MISUSE a power-up in Words With Friends can squander a tactical advantage.

Origin / Etymology

From mis- + use (noun).

Synonyms

abuse, misapply, pervert

Scrabble Score: 8

misuse: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
misuse: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
misuse: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

misuse: valid Words With Friends Word