maltreating

verb

present participle of maltreat
1
as in abusing
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 attacking
to abuse physically if you maltreat the puppy, we will take it away immediately

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maltreating
  1. abusing
  2. attacking
  3. torturing
  4. ambushing
  5. bullying
  6. manhandling
  7. mistreating
  8. mauling
Verb
  • In an earlier episode, Pam confronts Grace’s mother about abusing her daughter and ends up bashing in the woman’s head with a meat tenderizer — which sounds like a pivotal moment but plays more like a side quest.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The former owner of several unlicensed North Texas boarding homes pleaded guilty Monday to financially abusing and fatally neglecting elderly and disabled people in her care, according to court filings.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • Hawley said the majority of conflicts between humans and coyotes occurs when a pet owner tries to save their pet from an attacking coyote.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Washington Examiner economics columnist Tiana Lowe Doescher slammed Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed for refusing to denounce a controversial ad attacking Israel.
    — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • The latest season, currently being aired, depicts a fictional Chinese intelligence agency capturing and torturing some of the Japanese spies.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
  • For example, Salvatore Ramos, who in 2022 killed 19 kids and 2 teachers in Uvalde Texas, boasted on line about torturing animals, even going so far as to share videos of himself beheading animals.
    — Diana Urban, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of torturing
Verb
  • The man accused of ambushing two Philadelphia police officers, killing one and wounding another, now faces federal charges.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Two men are facing kidnapping and robbery charges after allegedly ambushing a buyer during a Facebook Marketplace transaction in Doral.
    — Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambushing
Verb
  • Junior faculty and staff faced more workplace bullying from peers.
    — Jason Walker, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Police said the father, Thomas Frimprong, 60, has told NYPD detectives two fellow students had recently been suspended for bullying his son.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • An Osceola County deputy sheriff was arrested this week, accused of manhandling a 67-year-old woman and falsely charging her with battering him during an early-morning traffic stop, the Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.
    — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Hours later, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, announced the suspension of Acosta’s press pass, and, for good measure, falsely accused him of manhandling the aide who wanted the mike back.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of manhandling
Verb
  • The customer can challenge a decision without mistreating the person explaining it.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Neighbors said the man began kicking and mistreating the dog before eventually luring the husky away from the yard with food.
    — Hunter Sowards, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistreating
Verb
  • At the time, Guilfoyle was an assistant DA in San Francisco prosecuting a high-profile dog-mauling case and making the rounds on cable news.
    — Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
  • While the left guard competition remains open, Jones has been on the first string for over a week since replacing Connor Colby, and Jones stood out with an aggressive, mauling nature against the Titans.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of mauling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

maltreated
maltreating
maltreatment
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Cite this Entry

“Maltreating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreating. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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