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manhandled

verb

past tense of manhandle
1
as in abused
to abuse physically charges that the police manhandled peaceful protesters

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bullied
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 manhandled The Falcons’ veteran offensive line was manhandled by Pittsburgh’s front seven. — Josh Kendall, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026 Valley View won its first game but was manhandled by Searcy last week. — Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026 New England lost in demoralizing fashion to the Seahawks last February, 29-13, as the Seattle defense manhandled the Patriots’ offense. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026 The $100 million price tag attached to the legal action is to make sure the city takes Brown’s allegations seriously — and ensure no one else is manhandled by the police without cause, Brown’s attorney Derek Sells of the Cochran Firm said. — Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026 Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash. — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026 Did something get squashed en route, then manhandled by Kennedy? — Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026 Stella was torn between getting it right and being manhandled by Meredith. — Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandled
  1. abused
  2. bullied
  3. attacked
  4. tortured
  5. mauled
  6. ambushed
  7. maltreated
  8. mishandled
Verb
  • That body, established in 2017 in response to the crimes of Larry Nassar, the Michigan physician who serially abused young gymnasts, can investigate misconduct, including nonsexual misconduct, in any Olympic sport.
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Two other people claimed to have been abused by the artist during their childhood, according to Libération, but are also not included in the case headed to trial because the incidents took place too far in the past.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of abused
Verb
  • Yes, Stark has painted, or, more accurately, anodized, powder-coated, and otherwise bullied into submission just about everything to black.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Newcastle were not only beaten, but they were also bullied and battered into submission — physically overpowered and outplayed in every facet.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bullied
Verb
  • Six of the gunmen were killed, according to police, who said one suicide bomber attacked the nearby office of an intelligence agency.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • When a wealthy, royal woman is attacked by bandits, the two men save her and are welcomed to the castle as valiant knights.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of attacked
Verb
  • Two students who had been visiting the palace, Eduardo Matson Ospino and Yolanda Ernestina Santodomingo, were allegedly classified as especiales, taken to a military facility, blindfolded, interrogated, tortured and threatened with execution.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors say Alsheikh, seeking to quash political dissent, sent certain prisoners to a wing of Adra where they were held in small isolation cells and tortured.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • Lug a bulky, awkward, bear-proof canister to store your food so you don’t get mauled.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And statistically, your chances of getting jumped and mauled by a bear are so low compared to any other real danger in the backcountry.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of mauled
Verb
  • The same 1-2 punch that ambushed Cambridge with 52 points in the Dave Hunter + Corky Kell Classic beat South Gwinnett on Friday 55-20.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Belle and Cal were ambushed in the finale and shot at by gunmen who were later revealed to be hired by Tom Wheeler, and the episode ended without confirming either of their fates.
    — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambushed
Verb
  • Canadian researchers found that older adults who were maltreated as children may face a significantly higher risk of cancer decades later.
    — Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The Adams County Health and Human Services Department’s initial assessment indicated that the infant was maltreated, though a final autopsy report is still pending, TMZ reported.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of maltreated
Verb
  • According to The Athletic, attorney Rob Carey is representing his family and said the university mishandled the investigation into his medical emergency.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Over his two-hour closing, Sanft claimed that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department mishandled the search for the Cadillac, allowed unauthorized people to access the case file, and lost police reports during a technology upgrade.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of mishandled

Browse Nearby Words

manhandle
manhandled
manhandles
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Cite this Entry

“Manhandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandled. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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