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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to manhandle
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mishandle
Since then, his administration has badly mishandled diplomatic efforts to bring about a cease-fire.
—
Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2025
Long will take over an IRS undergoing widespread change, including layoffs and voluntary retirements of tens of thousands of workers and accusations that then-Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency mishandled sensitive taxpayer data.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
According to a 2024 study by SITA, an IT company that provides bag-tracking systems to airlines, 36.1 million suitcases worldwide were mishandled in 2023, meaning 36.1 million bags were lost, delayed, damaged, or stolen.
—Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
These reporters lamented giving something approaching equal time to Hillary Clinton’s emails, a regret that only deepened once Trump was charged with mishandling classified documents himself.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2025
Long will take over an IRS undergoing widespread change, including layoffs and voluntary retirements of tens of thousands of workers and accusations that then-Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency mishandled sensitive taxpayer data.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
According to a 2024 study by SITA, an IT company that provides bag-tracking systems to airlines, 36.1 million suitcases worldwide were mishandled in 2023, meaning 36.1 million bags were lost, delayed, damaged, or stolen.
—Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
These reporters lamented giving something approaching equal time to Hillary Clinton’s emails, a regret that only deepened once Trump was charged with mishandling classified documents himself.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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Overstreet received a $2,700 check from the Ocala Police Department for his nonprofit in 2022, during the same timeframe when he was accused of abusing the teen girl, records show.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
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Under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke your green card if our laws are broken and abused.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Bronte looks fabulous in a slinky green dress, but Clayton’s unwelcome arrival upsets her until Clayton manhandles her and Joe beasts out, shoving him into a bookcase and telling him to leave her alone.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Brooks, a 43-year-old Black man, was punched, kicked, choked and manhandled in the Dec. 9 beating at Marcy Correctional Facility north of Utica.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Along with claims that Davenport mismanaged the school's finances, Bauer said the ex-superintendent also lied about the number of students enrolled at Dohn, claiming there were 1,600 students when the real number was only 600.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
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Most public restaurant chains today are overly complex, mismanaged, or stuck in a strategic identity crisis.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Therefore, in the face of employer abuse, one of the few remaining remedies available to mistreated workers is facing the terrifying prospect of striking in defense of their rights.—
Nick Gauthier,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
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The jail has faced accusations of mistreating immigrants.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Matteo is one part of what Sandoval calls the best lineout and maul in the country, giving credit to coach Ethan Willis.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2025
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The Tigers obliterated the Red Sox in a 14-2 rout, mauling Tanner Houck for 11 runs in 2.1 innings in one of the worst starts by any starting pitcher in the majors so far this year.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Well, in Alva’s case, in the months after her very public divorce, the New York Times society column straight up bullied her by writing stories about all the super fun parties and balls her sister-in-law Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt threw while Alva was in exile.—
Alexis Nedd,
IndieWire,
2 July 2025
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For years, Griffin never talked about being bullied as a child.—
Brad Schmitt,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Verb
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The main target of the attack was Kyiv and the surrounding region, with Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, Kirovohrad and Kharkiv regions also attacked, the president said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
10 July 2025
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Making homes more energy efficient is also a way to reduce carbon emissions, and thus attack the cause of more frequent and severe heat waves.—
Marianne Krasny,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Anything that damages the trust between the vendor, Microsoft, and the user is as much a threat as the hackers themselves, in my never humble opinion.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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