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
From the first-quarter red-zone stand to the fourth-quarter strip sack that left Justin Herbert twisted, bloodied and dazed, the Patriots defense manhandled the Los Angeles Chargers in the teams’ wild-card playoff matchup.
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 12 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
Coogan’s improbable honor was a beautiful bit of symbolism that recognized the manner in which these hard-nosed Hoosiers physically manhandled the Crimson Tide to reach the College Football Playoff semifinals with their 38-3 victory Thursday.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
The defensive interior was manhandled for most of the season, and in each of their three regular-season losses, the Trojans were trampled on the ground.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
The Vikings tried to put linebacker Blake Cashman on the line of scrimmage for a blitz look on that play, and Booker completely manhandled him.
—Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
James Cook carried the rock 32 times for 144 yards and the offensive line thoroughly manhandled Mike Tomlin’s defense.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025
After getting stuffed and manhandled on their first two drives, the Panthers marched down the field for a 75-yard touchdown drive, with Mason Heintschel throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to Justin Holmes.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
The guy has absolutely manhandled some of the best in the world.
—Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 12 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
Coogan’s improbable honor was a beautiful bit of symbolism that recognized the manner in which these hard-nosed Hoosiers physically manhandled the Crimson Tide to reach the College Football Playoff semifinals with their 38-3 victory Thursday.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
The defensive interior was manhandled for most of the season, and in each of their three regular-season losses, the Trojans were trampled on the ground.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
The Vikings tried to put linebacker Blake Cashman on the line of scrimmage for a blitz look on that play, and Booker completely manhandled him.
—Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
James Cook carried the rock 32 times for 144 yards and the offensive line thoroughly manhandled Mike Tomlin’s defense.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025
After getting stuffed and manhandled on their first two drives, the Panthers marched down the field for a 75-yard touchdown drive, with Mason Heintschel throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to Justin Holmes.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
The guy has absolutely manhandled some of the best in the world.
—Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandled
Verb
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said Kayode Agbolade Ogunba allegedly abused patients at a local care home.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Others abused the hospitality, & winded up having to actually be evicted from the property.—
Cheyenne Derksen,
Oklahoman,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Despite their efforts to reunite her with her siblings on the lake, she was rejected and bullied, and eventually taken in by Marshall and his wife, PJ.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
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Taylor’s reinvention story has always been driven by a belief in her artistry and a refusal to be bullied or controlled by those with legal paper rights to her catalogue but no rights to her talent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One study in 2020 surveyed 261 herders in Mongolia, another common habitat for snow leopards; while many reported having seen snow leopards, or had their livestock attacked by snow leopards, none reported any attacks on humans.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The upstream piranhas attacked her, and her blood flowing downstream attracted the rest of the piranhas, leaving the creek clear for the herd to cross.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When being tortured, name names.—
Keith McNally,
Vanity Fair,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Compared with the eight million Venezuelans who had fled the country, the nearly twenty thousand who had been detained for political reasons, the thousands who had been extrajudicially executed, and the hundreds who had been tortured, the deaths of a few dozen people seemed of little significance.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The second fatality occurred in 2001, when 9-year-old Clinton Gage was mauled on K’gari, then called Fraser Island, by two dingoes who also attacked his younger brother.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
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In September, a great white shark mauled surfer Mercury Psillakis to death at a popular northern Sydney ocean beach.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While refusing to fight for the Confederacy and trying to reach safety in Mexico, the group was ambushed by Confederate soldiers on horseback in the 1862 Battle of the Nueces, also called the Nueces massacre.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
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The Colorado Avalanche ambushed the Ottawa Senators’ goaltenders so badly Thursday night, the visitors signed a new one in the middle of the game.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Social media can’t replace offline resources for children who are being maltreated.—
Laura Schwab Reese,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The families have filed a lawsuit against The Joshua School, alleging that school officials mishandled their concerns and never reported suspicions of abuse to outside authorities, enabling the monitor’s abuse.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
23 Jan. 2026
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That decision made clear to us that minimizing liability mattered more than accountability for an antisemitic act and examining how school leadership handled – and then mishandled – what occurred.—
Marsha Sutton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manhandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandled. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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