1
as in to abuse
to abuse physically
charges that the police manhandled peaceful protesters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bully
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
if you see anyone manhandling a child, you should call the authorities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of manhandle
After his holstered gun was discovered under his coat and removed while he was being manhandled, he was executed on the spot by one of the officers despite lying unarmed and defenseless on the ground.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
Miami hoped to use its sheer size to manhandle Indiana and dominate both lines of scrimmage.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Nevertheless, Smith, 27, still had the last laugh courtesy of a 25th-minute strike on the half-volley made all the more impressive by how Matt Clarke was attempting to manhandle the forward to the ground as the cross from the equally lively Nathan Broadhead came in.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Before his team manhandled Miami, Vrabel gave voice to this during a pregame radio interview when answering if the Patriots might rest starters in order to preserve their health for the playoffs.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for manhandle
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
Miami hoped to use its sheer size to manhandle Indiana and dominate both lines of scrimmage.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Nevertheless, Smith, 27, still had the last laugh courtesy of a 25th-minute strike on the half-volley made all the more impressive by how Matt Clarke was attempting to manhandle the forward to the ground as the cross from the equally lively Nathan Broadhead came in.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Before his team manhandled Miami, Vrabel gave voice to this during a pregame radio interview when answering if the Patriots might rest starters in order to preserve their health for the playoffs.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for manhandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandle
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
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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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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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An Arizona mother of two was mauled to death by three dogs in a horrific attack while protecting her son outside her mother’s Southern California home.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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The 2000s brought Nick Jans’ The Grizzly Maze, which painted a layered, nuanced portrait of Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived alongside coastal brown bears in Katmai Alaska for thirteen summers before being mauled by a bear in 2003.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 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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Documents released since December have included redaction errors, leaked victim identities, and ongoing complaints of mishandling by department officials.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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On an out-of-bounds play, the ball was mishandled by Damien and Crespi junior guard Carter Barnes tried to secure a steal.—
Dan Rios,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ayatollah Khamenei led a regime that brutalized its own people, launched attacks around the world for almost 40 years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
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Please join me in praying for US service members, our allies, and the innocent Iranian population that has been brutalized for decades.—
Twumasi Duah-Mensah,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Iranian drones attacked its exclave of Nakhchivan and damaged an airport building.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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But threats from Iran to attack any ships in the region outweigh the promises of support.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
6 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
“Manhandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandle. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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