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
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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
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Recent Examples of maltreat
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
Lie number 2: Israel has been oppressing and maltreating Palestinians (and denying them a state) for 75 years.
—Efrem Sigel, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2024
The revelations come after years of intense scrutiny of Texas’ child welfare system, which included reports by blue-ribbon panels, a state district judge in Travis County and a state comptroller citing weak protection of youngsters maltreated by birth families and then roughly handled by the state.
—Allie Morris, Dallas News, 30 June 2023
The family is where you are first misjudged, maltreated, belittled, lied to and beaten—or not.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 6 June 2023
Coincidentally, a landmark incident that led to the death of a Nigerian happened in 2009 in Guangzhou, where Nigerians were recently maltreated.
—Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Quartz Africa, 31 May 2020
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
Lie number 2: Israel has been oppressing and maltreating Palestinians (and denying them a state) for 75 years.
—Efrem Sigel, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2024
The revelations come after years of intense scrutiny of Texas’ child welfare system, which included reports by blue-ribbon panels, a state district judge in Travis County and a state comptroller citing weak protection of youngsters maltreated by birth families and then roughly handled by the state.
—Allie Morris, Dallas News, 30 June 2023
The family is where you are first misjudged, maltreated, belittled, lied to and beaten—or not.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 6 June 2023
Coincidentally, a landmark incident that led to the death of a Nigerian happened in 2009 in Guangzhou, where Nigerians were recently maltreated.
—Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Quartz Africa, 31 May 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maltreat
Verb
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Now that Democrats have control and have adopted a similar playbook, Republicans accuse them of abusing their power.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Women who had experienced economic abuse from an intimate partner were significantly more likely to commit suicide than other abused women whose cases the report analysed.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Thursday, Iran’s new Supreme Leader said that his country would keep closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which about a fifth of the world’s oil flows, and more vessels in the Persian Gulf were attacked, including two oil tankers that were set ablaze off the coast of Iraq.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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Iran attacked two oil tankers off the coast of Iraq overnight, setting them ablaze.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In January 2025, during an investigation by the Colorado Senate Committee on Ethics, Lewis forged several letters reportedly written by former aides to refute allegations that Lewis was mistreating staff.—
Doug Friednash,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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Despite his status as a transfer, Dent mistreated UCLA’s rival from the jump.—
Aaron Heisen,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lee had been caught on video back in 2017 shouting at a woman who was reportedly his girlfriend, manhandling her and calling her names, in a confrontation allegedly broken up by a teammate.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Social media served up a daily video deluge of heavily armed agents randomly manhandling dark-skinned people.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jaxson Hayes remembered the bruising the Lakers got at Madison Square Garden a month ago when the New York Knicks bullied them on the boards, outscored them by 14 in the second half and had six players score in double figures.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Do not procrastinate — and do not be bullied, either by your spouse or your attorney!—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There was a crisp new poster on the easel at the Werth practice facility that displayed the Big East Tournament trophy, not yet mauled in frustration and held together by tape like the regular-season version had been.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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The wild animals mauled and injured multiple cast members; in one instance, Diaz had to stop director Noel Marshall from internally bleeding.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lucca van der Woude approached Plaintiff from behind to ambush and digitally penetrate him.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
3 Mar. 2026
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Talk shows continued to invite her, often in order to ambush her.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The conflict has also claimed the lives of seven US soldiers and injured about 140 American troops.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
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At least six people were killed and several others were injured after a passenger bus caught fire Tuesday in western Switzerland, authorities said.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maltreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreat. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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