mishandle

verb

(ˌ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce mishandle (audio)
Definition of mishandlenext
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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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 Ryan Vilade and Diaz walked and as the Yankees mishandled a throw in attempting a double play on Liam Hicks’ grounder, Vilade made a heads-up dash for home. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026 In May, Xi emphasized to Trump the consequences of mishandling Taiwan. — Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 What happens if you’re caught mishandling an older person’s savings? — Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026 Speakers during public comment at the town hall accused the board of mishandling the hiring process and expressed disappointment that another popular candidate, Guion Creek Middle School athletic director John Dawkins, was rejected. — Aubrey Wright, IndyStar, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
  1. abuse
  2. manhandle
  3. mismanage
  4. mistreat
  5. maul
  6. misconduct
  7. bully
  8. attack
Verb
  • Macedo wrote a letter to Steve Kawa, the chair of the authority’s board, ahead of the meeting saying that Choudri had misused taxpayer money and abused public trust.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a sense in the gut that really gets offended by people who abuse their power.
    — Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • Being manhandled at home by a team with the sport’s sixth-lowest payroll is a negative.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Hours later, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, announced the suspension of Acosta’s press pass, and, for good measure, falsely accused him of manhandling the aide who wanted the mike back.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of manhandle
Verb
  • Founders often mismanage their crucial first sales hire, mistakenly seeking candidates suited for large corporations.
    — Kate Morgan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • 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.
    — Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 22 June 2026
Definition of mismanage
Verb
  • Last year outside attorneys spent months investigating allegations that director John Youngquist mistreated employees of color.
    — Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Ever since these rideshare companies began in the early 2010s, they have been scrutinized for underpaying and mistreating drivers.
    — Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistreat
Verb
  • Four days after Ismail was attacked, 63-year-old swimmer Greg O’Neill was fatally mauled by a shark.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • At the time, Guilfoyle was an assistant DA in San Francisco prosecuting a high-profile dog-mauling case and making the rounds on cable news.
    — Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of maul
Verb
  • The Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year, pointing to misconduct by investigators.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In addition, referees were instructed to apply the rules regarding fouls and misconducts more strictly – a move meant to protect players and their inventiveness.
    — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Definition of misconduct
Verb
  • Concerns over bullying on campus, as well as a lack of security, have also been raised.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The big lefty is comfortable stepping away from the basket but can also bully his way to the bucket.
    — CJ Moore, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of bully
Verb
  • Talarico has attacked Ken Paxton over his long list of scandals in several campaign ads.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Saudi authorities later said King Fahd International Airport in Dammam also had been attacked, with few details.
    — SAMY MAGDY, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack

Browse Nearby Words

misguiding
mishandle
mishandled
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Cite this Entry

“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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