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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of manhandled
During this stretch, the Colts will face three AFC opponents, including the Steelers, who manhandled them last year and forced Jones to commit a career-high five turnovers in a loss.
—
James Boyd, New York Times, 15 May 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
Boston also struggled with its perimeter shooting (eight made 3-pointers on a season-low-tying 28 attempts) but manhandled the Raptors inside, setting a new franchise record for points in the paint (76) in the play-by-play era.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Stella was torn between getting it right and being manhandled by Meredith.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
James Boyd, New York Times, 15 May 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
Boston also struggled with its perimeter shooting (eight made 3-pointers on a season-low-tying 28 attempts) but manhandled the Raptors inside, setting a new franchise record for points in the paint (76) in the play-by-play era.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Stella was torn between getting it right and being manhandled by Meredith.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandled
Verb
-
None of those mothers were found to have abused or neglected their children.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 June 2026
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Moreover, the states often abused their authority, both over their own citizens and with regard to each other.—
Jordan Cash,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
Verb
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In the docuseries, Michaels' former costar, Bob Harper, and others affiliated with the reality show, accused Michaels of unethical behavior, such as having bullied contestants, given them caffeine pills in an effort to lose weight faster, and restricting their calories to unsafe levels.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
26 Aug. 2025
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Cook said last week she wouldn’t be bullied into stepping down and vowed to rebut the accusations.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The two sisters entered the restaurant, ran behind the counter and attacked the 23-year-old employee after they were given a wrong order, prosecutors said, according to the outlet.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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Hundreds of people have been killed in fighting between the two countries since February, when Afghanistan attacked Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The Togolese activist began organizing as a teenager after her father was arrested and tortured, and later helped lead protests against a dictatorship that responded with arrests, exile, intimidation and internet shutdowns.—
Susie Violet Ward,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2026
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Armand tortured and planned to drain Daniel, but Louis stepped in to save him.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Verb
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After 41 minutes, had it been predicted that Tuesday evening would end up as the joint ninth-highest-scoring game in Premier League history, it would have been assumed that City had mauled Fulham.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
3 Dec. 2025
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In his experience, a person mauled by a grizzly was usually bitten and battered but then left to die and ripen before being eaten; a black bear would kill outright and feed immediately.—
William D. Brown,
Outdoor Life,
13 Nov. 2025
Verb
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He feels emotionally ambushed, and what plays out is as if Marriage Story were an absolute chucklefest, as Lestat gets increasingly worked up and jealous over Louis’s relationships with other men.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
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Situated on Route 33 in Manalapan, this state park has preserved the 18th-century landscape of one of the biggest battles of the Revolutionary War, where the Continental Army ambushed the British army along their route from Philadelphia to New York City.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Dependency courts most often involve children who have been removed from parents because they were neglected, abandoned or maltreated.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 June 2026
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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
Verb
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Castle said victims are too often left with limited options when allegations are mishandled or ignored within the ranks.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Judge Wilson seemed to agree, finding in his ruling that a detective mishandled the evidence and failed to follow proper procedure.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manhandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandled. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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