manhandle

verb

man·​han·​dle ˈman-ˌhan-dᵊl 

manhandled; manhandling; manhandles

transitive verb

1

: to handle roughly

2

: to move or manage by human force

manhandled the posts into place

Synonyms of manhandle

• abuse
• maul
• mishandle
• attack
• maltreat
• rough (up)
• beat
• injure
• ambush

Examples of manhandle in a Sentence

They manhandled the heavy boxes onto the truck.

She manhandled the posts into place.

He was manhandling the boy.

He says he was manhandled by the police.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Dallas Cowboys were manhandled by the Green Bay Packers 23-13 on Sunday night to drop to 2-4 this season. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026

However, that doesn’t explain how they were manhandled by the Gamecocks last week. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for manhandle

• candle
• handle
• sandal
• scandal
• vandal
• panhandle

Kids Definition

manhandle

verb

man·​han·​dle ˈman-ˌhan-dᵊl 

1

: to handle roughly

2

: to move or manage by human force