1
as in to abuse
to abuse physically
charges that the police manhandled peaceful protesters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 manhandle
Federal agents manhandled him out of the room, shoved him down onto his knees and handcuffed him.
—
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Anyone who has seen the video knows that he was fully handcuffed after having been manhandled to the ground.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 12 June 2025
Federal agents manhandled California Sen. Alex Padilla out of the room, shoved him down onto his knees and handcuffed him.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Brooks died at a hospital in Utica on Dec. 9, a day after he was punched, kicked, choked and manhandled by multiple officers at Marcy Correctional Facility — while handcuffed to a medical examination table.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for manhandle
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Anyone who has seen the video knows that he was fully handcuffed after having been manhandled to the ground.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 12 June 2025
Federal agents manhandled California Sen. Alex Padilla out of the room, shoved him down onto his knees and handcuffed him.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Brooks died at a hospital in Utica on Dec. 9, a day after he was punched, kicked, choked and manhandled by multiple officers at Marcy Correctional Facility — while handcuffed to a medical examination table.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for manhandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandle
Verb
-
His father, a livery man, didn’t understand him, and apparently abused him.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Published in April, the Change Associates review found that a small number of employees continue to abuse their power at the corporation.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Researchers have seen that wild horses and burros will hog water tanks, streams, and other water sources — often to the detriment of native critters like deer and antelope, which are easily bullied by a big stallion.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
31 July 2025
-
After all, living with a drunk step-mom, being bullied at school, and failing all her classes isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
An animal shelter employee was mauled to death by two dogs rescued from a dog-fighting ring in Mississippi, according to multiple reports, citing local police and officials.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
-
The bear mauled the hiker, who unloaded his entire can of spray deterrent to ward off the bear, first to stop the attack and then a second time when the bear returned.—
Mark Thiessen,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
The filing points to other high-profile instances when CDCR employees were harassed, threatened and mistreated by other officers.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
4 Aug. 2025
-
In some communities, especially those that have been mistreated or exploited by the medical establishment, this skepticism is deep-rooted and understandable.—
Sonali Bloom,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
The high-profile case drew national attention and sparked protests from Read’s supporters, who accused law enforcement of framing her and mishandling the investigation.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
30 July 2025
-
If offshore personnel mishandle sensitive data, determining liability across borders becomes nearly impossible.—
Tony Williams Raré,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
The gang developed a reputation for torturing, brutalizing and dismembering its victims.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
12 June 2025
-
Kraft, who remains incarcerated at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, was convicted of brutalizing and killing 16 men during a decadelong series of slayings in Orange County, California, that ended with his arrest.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
10 May 2025
Verb
-
After the match, Uso helped attack Sikoa’s MFTs and Fatu hit a picturesque moonsault off the top of the cage onto Loa and Mateo, getting some momentum back after a controversial defeat.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Police responded to a call that an individual was being attacked by dogs at the Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino at around 5:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 31, KTLA and the Los Angeles Times reported.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
However, Friesen was severely injured in an accident during the Super DIRTcar Series race at Canada’s Autodrome Drummond last weekend.—
Joseph Wolkin,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Neither victim was physically injured during the encounter.—
Pioneer Press,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manhandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandle. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share