as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
anyone who ill-treats their pets should not be allowed to have any
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Recent Examples of ill-treat
Declarants describe detentions following their civil immigration arrests that deprived them of basic human dignity, including being ill-treated, with inadequate food and uncomfortable and crowded sleeping facilities, and being denied medical attention.
—
New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
But that shouldn’t, in my mind, make an excuse for ill-treating a patient.
—Jessica Schreifels, ProPublica, 26 Sep. 2025
There is a troubling suggestion of abuse, implying that Jack might have been ill-treated by his mom (and saved by Helen), rather than heartlessly abandoned.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
But that shouldn’t, in my mind, make an excuse for ill-treating a patient.
—Jessica Schreifels, ProPublica, 26 Sep. 2025
There is a troubling suggestion of abuse, implying that Jack might have been ill-treated by his mom (and saved by Helen), rather than heartlessly abandoned.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-treat
Verb
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The daughter of one of those killed in the Bondi attacks said that a year earlier she was verbally abused while carrying her baby in a Sydney shopping mall by a man who spotted her Star of David necklace.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
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There will be heavy reviews/assurances that those kept in state care are treated well and not abused, as in past histories.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Activists who have accused Ridglan of mistreating the dogs broke into the facility last month in an effort to remove beagles that were being bred for laboratory testing.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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The Daily Mail, which obtained a copy the new lawsuit Friday, reported that Juana Delgado Soto alleges that Jenner failed to intervene to stop other staff from mistreating her.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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There are bosses in companies that maltreat their workers globally.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Canadian researchers found that older adults who were maltreated as children may face a significantly higher risk of cancer decades later.—
Rob Williams,
EverydayHealth.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To be a kid, though, was to be bullied.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
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The Wolves bullied Denver with offensive rebounds throughout the night, even when bruising backup center Jonas Valanciunas was on the floor.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Verb
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In 1969 she was put in solitary confinement for 491 days and tortured.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
2 May 2026
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Iranian American actor Anthony Azizi says the continuing Middle East conflict has sparked rising persecution of Iran’s Baha’i minority, including its members being jailed and tortured under the threat of execution.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ill-treat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treat. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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