1
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
a manager fired for maltreating the staff with needless insults a home for children who have been deprived and maltreated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to abuse physically
if you maltreat the puppy, we will take it away immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 maltreat
There are bosses in companies that maltreat their workers globally.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Many maltreating parents struggle with chronic conditions that start well before their first child and will impede their capacity to provide safe and appropriate care indefinitely.
—
Sarah A. Font,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
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
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
Social media can’t replace offline resources for children who are being maltreated.
—
Laura Schwab Reese,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
One to One concert the duo organized as a response to Geraldo Rivera’s truly shocking exposé of the Willowbrook institution, where children with disabilities were horrifically maltreated and abused.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Even the first stage of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine - on the pretext of protecting Russian speakers being maltreated - parallels Hitler’s sending shock troops into Czechoslovakia to purportedly safeguard German speakers along the Czech borderlands.
—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes,
18 Dec. 2024
In 2022, the World Health Organization estimated that 1 billion children were maltreated each year around the globe.
—
Marc D. Hauser,
TIME,
3 Apr. 2024
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Many maltreating parents struggle with chronic conditions that start well before their first child and will impede their capacity to provide safe and appropriate care indefinitely.
—
Sarah A. Font,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
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
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
Social media can’t replace offline resources for children who are being maltreated.
—
Laura Schwab Reese,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
One to One concert the duo organized as a response to Geraldo Rivera’s truly shocking exposé of the Willowbrook institution, where children with disabilities were horrifically maltreated and abused.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Even the first stage of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine - on the pretext of protecting Russian speakers being maltreated - parallels Hitler’s sending shock troops into Czechoslovakia to purportedly safeguard German speakers along the Czech borderlands.
—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes,
18 Dec. 2024
In 2022, the World Health Organization estimated that 1 billion children were maltreated each year around the globe.
—
Marc D. Hauser,
TIME,
3 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maltreat
Verb
-
One video advertises access to a longer clip of a boy toddler being abused for less than three dollars.
-
Christina alleged that Joan physically and emotionally abused her and Christopher in her best-selling 1978 memoir, Mommie Dearest, which was adapted for the 1981 film that starred Faye Dunaway.
Verb
-
His pace routinely bothered Sweden, including on one impressive solo run in the first half that produced a quality attacking scenario.
-
The video then shows the woman throwing Martinez to the ground, grabbing her by the hair and repeatedly attacking her as bystanders try to step in and help.
Verb
-
One example would be laws prohibiting humans from mistreating AIs psychologically or physically.
-
Weyland-Yutani is a sort of extreme example of what economists call a monopsony — when one employer dominates a labor market and gains power to underpay and mistreat workers.
Verb
-
During this stretch, the Colts will face three AFC opponents, including the Steelers, who manhandled them last year and forced Jones to commit a career-high five turnovers in a loss.
-
Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series.
Verb
-
Bonnie's new device Lilypad initially causes problems with this, leading her to be brutally bullied in a group chat and shamed into rejecting her toys.
-
Williams called Valkyries fans bullies in an Instagram Live stream earlier this week, and by Friday night, Chase Center had the receipts.
Verb
-
Another hiker survived a grizzly mauling on the popular Grinnell Glacier Trail just weeks later.
-
The singer, 37, was set to take the stand in the case brought against him by his housekeeper, who alleged one of Brown's dogs mauled her sister in 2020.
Verb
-
Ex-Rep Elaine Luria ambushed on camera over 2000% net worth spike during tenure.
-
Al Drago / Getty Images Dockery was serving as a platoon leader in the Kapisa Province of Afghanistan in October 2012 when his platoon was ambushed by dozens of Taliban fighters, the White House said.
Verb
-
An underage girl was injured and treated at a hospital.
-
Sixty-six people were injured in the incident.
Cite this Entry
“Maltreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreat. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
