handled

verb

past tense of handle
1
as in addressed
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently as host of a live TV talk show, she must handle any situation that comes up

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2
as in treated
to behave toward in a stated way handles all requests professionally, even when customers are rude

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3
as in operated
to control the mechanical operation of learned how to handle basic woodworking power tools

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4
as in managed
to look after and make decisions about she takes care of the flower beds, and he handles all the lawn care

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5
as in tolerated
to put up with (something painful or difficult) I can't handle much more of this foul weather

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in supervised
to be in charge of I'll be handling the team's workouts while the leader is on vacation

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of handled Western Commissioner Rick Lett said the event permit application has been handled with guidance from the county's legal adviser, and that if the H Highway bridge had been out, the county likely would have denied the application. — Glory Reitz, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 The late Margot Bettauer Dembo handled NYRB’s previous Seghers translations; Lucy Jones has taken over, and excellently conveys the incisive bite of the writing. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The Miami Hurricanes have handled business so far this season. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026 Song handled directing on set, the pair shared storyboarding in pre-production, and Ryu led post-production. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 Simmons’ favorite target, Cayden Lee, handled most of the receiving, with 94 yards and a TD on seven catches. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026 The paperwork is handled well, the farewell party is arranged, gifts are presented and everyone assumes that whatever needed to be passed to the next person has already been passed. — Vikas Arora, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 The student who spoke with campus police criticized how the department handled the matter. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026 The sale is being handled by Christie’s and will take place in New York on November 17 at the house’s evening twentieth-century sale. — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handled
  1. addressed
  2. treated
  3. operated
  4. managed
  5. tolerated
  6. supervised
  7. manipulated
  8. served
Verb
  • The Chargers addressed their need for depth by signing eighth-year offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill to the practice squad before elevating him to the active roster Saturday.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Coordination addressed the limited space available at the range and the need to protect surrounding operations during the event.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of addressed
Verb
  • Those albums treated homecoming as a means of rebirth and reclamation; creole culture moves on the same wavelength but is more coy about the references.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Later, hundreds of protesters gathered outside New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in upper Manhattan where the man who was shot was being treated.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of treated
Verb
  • This sonic machine—a pneumatic system operated by wind and air—is partially concealed inside walls.
    — Thomas Patier, Artforum, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The Crown Estate is an independent company established by Parliament to manage a vast portfolio of properties throughout the United Kingdom that is nominally owned by the sovereign during his lifetime but is operated for the benefit of taxpayers.
    — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of operated
Verb
  • Cybersecurity And Functional Safety Are Converging Cybersecurity and functional safety have traditionally been managed as separate disciplines, although today they are increasingly considered part of the same operational risk environment.
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • After the initial disclosure, Acme took several meetings with a mix of studios and filmmakers eager to understand how a project managed to dramatically lower costs.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of managed
Verb
  • Plus, the compound was well-tolerated by skin cells at the right concentrations.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Any form of racist language or behavior is a direct violation of those values and will not be tolerated.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of tolerated
Verb
  • At least three employees supervised by Perera have filed bullying complaints with DIR’s Office of Equity and Risk.
    — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The day was also a feast in honor of the recipient – typically the prefect of Rome, who supervised the city’s jurisdictions and police.
    — Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of supervised
Verb
  • Roughly half of the 10 patients in the study had some vision restoration after researchers injected them with a gene to make their retina produce a light-sensing protein so that it could be manipulated.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The senses of anyone entering these tombs were heavily manipulated.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of manipulated
Verb
  • Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda are said to have attended at least a few of these parties, contributing to rumors that Lewis and the estate served as at least partial inspiration for the novel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • El-Sayed, who trained as a doctor and served as Detroit’s top public health official, has campaigned on Medicare for All since his unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018.
    — Kate Wells, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of served

Browse Nearby Words

handlebars
handled
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Cite this Entry

“Handled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handled. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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