as in abused
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-treated
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
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
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-treated
Verb
-
The fake news, like CNN, like The New York Times, and like others, have abused our people, have abused our people so badly.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
-
At least 10 women have alleged that Epstein groomed or abused them at the 10,000-acre ranch starting in the mid-1990s, an NBC News review of court testimony, lawsuits and other records found.—
Jon Schuppe,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The Chinese have been broug ht here to work on railroads, to work on farms and they were mistreated.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
-
LaFaive felt that Goodman had been fundamentally mistreated, particularly in the wake of a defining tragedy.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Armand tortured and planned to drain Daniel, but Louis stepped in to save him.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
-
The story of Alabama's congressional map is long and tortured.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Verb
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And yet, the complex plot comes down to the bond between Albus and Scorpius, who are living in their fathers’ shadows, bullied and uncertain of themselves, as their connections with their dads falter.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
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In a country like India, subjugated early in the history of capitalist imperialism, and then bullied after independence by the West, a degree of self-renunciation and collective sacrifice was widely understood to be requisite to economic and political self-strengthening.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ill-treated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treated. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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