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
Too little, too late, my friend — but at least June looks surprised/appreciative as Lydia is manhandled into a noose of her own.
—
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 20 May 2025
Almost as many French citizens, having seen the way Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, manhandled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, are afraid that Russia’s war against Ukraine will spill over beyond Ukraine’s borders, perhaps even into France itself.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
As a team, the Celtics shot 4-for-20 from deep and were manhandled on the boards, with New York owning a 32-18 rebounding edge at halftime.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 17 May 2025
Winning on the margins must replace manhandling inferior opponents, perhaps why base runners who rarely showed any aggression are now hunting an extra 90 feet with every ball put in play.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manhandle
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 20 May 2025
Almost as many French citizens, having seen the way Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, manhandled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, are afraid that Russia’s war against Ukraine will spill over beyond Ukraine’s borders, perhaps even into France itself.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
As a team, the Celtics shot 4-for-20 from deep and were manhandled on the boards, with New York owning a 32-18 rebounding edge at halftime.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 17 May 2025
Winning on the margins must replace manhandling inferior opponents, perhaps why base runners who rarely showed any aggression are now hunting an extra 90 feet with every ball put in play.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manhandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandle
Verb
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In the procedural drama, Rodríguez brings to life a multi-layered and solemn character shaped by a traumatic childhood — abused within the foster care system, with no knowledge of his origins, and struggling with severe dyslexia.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Federal employees widely abused the Biden administration‘s telework policies, according to an inspector general report released by the Office of Personnel Management on Friday.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2025
Verb
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In the extreme, influencers are building social-media empires by bullying women into cutting calories and exercising for hours a day.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
25 June 2025
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One more user reminded viewers to learn from the online bullying fellow islander Huda Mustafa, a 24-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, faced earlier in the season.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
24 June 2025
Verb
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The defense has theorized O’Keefe was mauled by a German shepherd owned by the family who lived at 34 Fairview.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
16 June 2025
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The incidents, mostly self-reported by employees, include chases, bites, assaults and deaths, like that of a 61-year-old mail carrier in Florida who died in 2022 after she was mauled by five dogs.—
Jocelyn Shek,
NBC news,
10 June 2025
Verb
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People who get mistreated have usually done something to bring it on themselves.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
20 June 2025
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As the noise pierced through the house day and night, keeping her children awake, Natalie was concerned about dogs possibly being mistreated nearby.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Most people miss what triggers really mean: unpack them for success Most people mishandle emotional responses.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Some community members at that time said Brooks was to blame for mishandling the situation.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
Verb
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Which ones brutalize a fan base, scarring them for generations?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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By contrast, Pacific Palisades, another area that was brutalized by fire, had already established an official record of its cultural heritage via SurveyLA, a historic resources survey conducted by the city.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
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When Iran attacked Israel in 2024 with a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones, around 99% were successfully stopped.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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Diddy's alleged reaction to public release of his attack on Cassie Ventura Jane's testimony gave the jury insight into how Diddy reacted when surveillance footage of the rapper attacking Cassie Ventura went public in May 2024.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2025
Verb
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The plane broke apart, killing all six people onboard and injuring eight people on the ground.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
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On Thursday, an Iranian missile strike damaged a hospital in southern Israel, as part of a barrage of strikes Israel said injured 271 people.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manhandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandle. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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