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

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

He was brought to the prison infirmary, where numerous guards surrounded, punched, kicked, choked, dropped and manhandled him. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026

Accurso manhandles the omelet, layering the salad on top before folding it in half. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026

Not only did the offense look poor against the New York Jets on Sunday but the defensive line got manhandled by the Jets offensive line. — Austin Mock, New York Times, 14 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