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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Sweetin became sober in 2008 after abusing drugs and alcohol for over a decade and has become a public advocate for recovery from addiction.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
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Since then, Swalwell’s support among organized labor, congressional allies and campaign donors has evaporated in the week since liberal influencers began posting vague accusations that Swalwell abused female staff and teasing forthcoming investigative articles.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, tax collector Tina Koren is facing criminal charges for allegedly using her role to harass and mistreat her neighbors, officials said Wednesday.—
Terra Sullivan,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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The message being sent to lower-ranking officers is that they will be assessed on the basis of their gender, race, or politics, rather than their abilities—which will cause many officers to leave rather than stay and be mistreated, and many potential officers not to enlist to begin with.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Adams County Health and Human Services Department’s initial assessment indicated that the infant was maltreated, though a final autopsy report is still pending, TMZ reported.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Social media can’t replace offline resources for children who are being maltreated.—
Laura Schwab Reese,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Their daughter was bullied by fake nude images at school.—
Bethany Bruner,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
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Family believes others may be involved Relatives say Marcus went to the home simply to visit a friend – and that he had been bullied and threatened in the days leading up to the shooting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 14-year-old was kidnapped, tortured and killed in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman in a rural Mississippi grocery store.—
Gary Fields,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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For years, deportations could be indefinitely delayed if an immigrant successfully argued that they’d be tortured or persecuted if they were returned home.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ill-treat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treat. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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