manhandle

verb

man·​han·​dle ˈman-ˌhan-dᵊl How to pronounce manhandle (audio)
manhandled; manhandling; manhandles
Synonyms of manhandlenext

transitive verb

1
: to handle roughly
2
: to move or manage by human force
manhandled the posts into place

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
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.
Stella was torn between getting it right and being manhandled by Meredith. Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026 Lee had been caught on video back in 2017 shouting at a woman who was reportedly his girlfriend, manhandling her and calling her names, in a confrontation allegedly broken up by a teammate. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026 Social media served up a daily video deluge of heavily armed agents randomly manhandling dark-skinned people. Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026 The Pats manhandled Denver in the AFC Championship Game, thanks mostly to defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for manhandle

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of manhandle was in 1851

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Manhandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manhandle. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

manhandle

verb
man·​han·​dle ˈman-ˌhan-dᵊl How to pronounce manhandle (audio)
1
: to handle roughly
2
: to move or manage by human force

More from Merriam-Webster on manhandle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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