mishandle

verb

mis·​han·​dle (ˌ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl 

mishandled; mishandling; mishandles

transitive verb

1

: to treat roughly : maltreat

2

: to deal with or manage wrongly or ignorantly

Synonyms of mishandle

• abuse
• mistreat
• bully
• manhandle
• misuse

Examples of mishandle in a Sentence

The police mishandled the investigation.

Apples are easily bruised when they are mishandled.

The shortstop mishandled the throw.

The quarterback fumbled when he mishandled the snap.

Recent Examples on the Web

The court should grant enough time to do that analysis — and everyone involved should hope that the Texas lab does not determine that the Deerfield Beach lab mishandled the sample to the point where no results are obtainable. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026

And Disney can still mishandle a specific dispute with that family in Florida. —Kelsey Maurine Brickl, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026

Turang’s sacrifice bunt was mishandled at first base, putting runners on first and second. —ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026

The year before that, the FTC dinged WW International, formerly Weight Watchers, for illegally collecting and mishandling data from Kurbo, a weight loss app for children. —Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mishandle

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

Kids Definition

mishandle

verb

mis·​han·​dle (ˈ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl 

1

: to treat roughly : maltreat

2

: to manage wrongly