as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
the foster parent who had been mistreating his charges was sent to jail
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mistreat
This time Hilton was speaking in support of two families who filed lawsuits Monday alleging that their children were mistreated at Provo Canyon School, the same facility where Hilton spent almost a year in the late 1990s.
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ABC News,
15 June 2026
Those scars created a man who was a distant father and equally remote with his band members at the peak, mistreating them with casual disdain until everything fell apart.
—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
His tenure at Texas Tech came to a messy and uncomfortable end when he was fired for cause after being accused of mistreating a player with a concussion.
—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
The Chinese have been broug ht here to work on railroads, to work on farms and they were mistreated.
—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mistreat
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Those scars created a man who was a distant father and equally remote with his band members at the peak, mistreating them with casual disdain until everything fell apart.
—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
His tenure at Texas Tech came to a messy and uncomfortable end when he was fired for cause after being accused of mistreating a player with a concussion.
—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
The Chinese have been broug ht here to work on railroads, to work on farms and they were mistreated.
—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mistreat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistreat
Verb
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One video advertises access to a longer clip of a boy toddler being abused for less than three dollars.
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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
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This legislation helps our state meet current challenges and ensures bullying via AI is addressed in the school code.
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Muslim students continue to report the highest rates of bullying among religious groups in the country.
Verb
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Your structure sorts the whole world into two boxes, oppressor and oppressed.
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In other words, if Jay-Z’s ascent becomes shorthand for Black progress, then the critique of the system that continues to oppress those at the margins starts to fade.
Cite this Entry
“Mistreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistreat. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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