MISTREAT Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

mistreat

verb

ˌmis-ˈtrēt

Definition of mistreat

as in to abuse

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon the foster parent who had been mistreating his charges was sent to jail

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of mistreat After reporting Lopez missing last September, Lopez’s daughter told a detective that Yepez had been mistreating her mother at work, the police report said. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 By 1790, half of the world's coffee was being grown in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, in what is today Haiti, Pendergrast says, where slaves were routinely mistreated, raped and murdered. — James Doubek, NPR, 3 July 2026 Children who once feared or mistreated animals begin to show care and leadership. — Patricia Huon, Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2026 Platner is also an unfaithful spouse who mistreats women. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mistreat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistreat

Verb

When Platner arrived, the place seemed haunted not only by American misconduct but also by Saddam Hussein’s use of it to imprison and abuse political dissidents during his reign.

— Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
To overturn the trial court's decision would require an appellate court to find that the trial court abused its discretion ― which is a very high bar to hurdle.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

Parents lodged complaints about coaches, at least one athlete claimed they were being bullied and harassed by a teammate, and rival programs raised concerns about the team’s behavior in competitions.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026
For a long time, our leading hypothesis was bullying and violence, but that may be a bit impractical, given their kingdoms are vast networks of tunnels that can stretch for up to three kilometers.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026

Definition of bully

Verb

Claiming that other people expressing their civil rights is oppressing them, and politicizing what are supposed to be non-partisan parts of how the government works on the state and federal level.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Man oppressed woman legally, economically, socially, educationally, morally, professionally and religiously.

— Brian DeLay, Mercury News, 4 July 2026