1
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
having been shuffled from foster home to foster home, the orphaned girl felt she had been mishandled by an uncaring society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to manhandle
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mismanage
to manage badly
we took over as soon as we realized that the fill-in had been mishandling the situation
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 mishandle
In May, a Department of Insurance investigation accused State Farm of mishandling wildfire survivors’ claims, and sought penalties and corrective measures from the provider.
—
Haley Parsley
june 10,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Castle said victims are too often left with limited options when allegations are mishandled or ignored within the ranks.
—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Todd and Julie Chrisley are suing their former defense attorneys for allegedly mishandling their criminal case that landed them in prison.
—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
On Thursday, a judge dismissed the murder case against Spencer after ruling that the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office mishandled evidence.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Haley Parsley
june 10,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Castle said victims are too often left with limited options when allegations are mishandled or ignored within the ranks.
—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Todd and Julie Chrisley are suing their former defense attorneys for allegedly mishandling their criminal case that landed them in prison.
—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
On Thursday, a judge dismissed the murder case against Spencer after ruling that the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office mishandled evidence.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
-
One video advertises access to a longer clip of a boy toddler being abused for less than three dollars.
-
Christina alleged that Joan physically and emotionally abused her and Christopher in her best-selling 1978 memoir, Mommie Dearest, which was adapted for the 1981 film that starred Faye Dunaway.
Verb
-
During this stretch, the Colts will face three AFC opponents, including the Steelers, who manhandled them last year and forced Jones to commit a career-high five turnovers in a loss.
-
Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series.
Verb
-
Others may mismanage their finances, spending investment funds haphazardly without building reserves or planning for future funding rounds, also resulting in failure.
-
Target has been criticized for mismanaging inventory, under-investing in stores and falling behind on the trendy, eye-catching merchandise the retailer built its name on.
Verb
-
One example would be laws prohibiting humans from mistreating AIs psychologically or physically.
-
Weyland-Yutani is a sort of extreme example of what economists call a monopsony — when one employer dominates a labor market and gains power to underpay and mistreat workers.
Verb
-
Another hiker survived a grizzly mauling on the popular Grinnell Glacier Trail just weeks later.
-
The singer, 37, was set to take the stand in the case brought against him by his housekeeper, who alleged one of Brown's dogs mauled her sister in 2020.
Verb
-
In addition, referees were instructed to apply the rules regarding fouls and misconducts more strictly – a move meant to protect players and their inventiveness.
Verb
-
Bonnie's new device Lilypad initially causes problems with this, leading her to be brutally bullied in a group chat and shamed into rejecting her toys.
-
Williams called Valkyries fans bullies in an Instagram Live stream earlier this week, and by Friday night, Chase Center had the receipts.
Verb
-
His pace routinely bothered Sweden, including on one impressive solo run in the first half that produced a quality attacking scenario.
-
The video then shows the woman throwing Martinez to the ground, grabbing her by the hair and repeatedly attacking her as bystanders try to step in and help.
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
