1
as in abused
to abuse physically
charges that the police manhandled peaceful protesters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
-
Many of the children were being abused by adults, according to court records.
-
At the time of the first reports, it was indicated that Pitt abused not only Jolie but also some of the older kids.
Verb
-
Bonnie's new device Lilypad initially causes problems with this, leading her to be brutally bullied in a group chat and shamed into rejecting her toys.
-
After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA.
Verb
-
Daga, Berto, Angel, Bronco Nima and Karmen Petrovic attacked El Grande Americano and took off their jackets to reveal their Los Perros del Mal T-shirts.
-
The prosecution said the two activists had incited a mob that subsequently attacked a security vehicle, seized the soldier and beat him to death with sticks and bricks.
Verb
-
Pluverge, an ice cream maker at Taste the Tropics, came to the United States on asylum after he was kidnapped and tortured by gang members in his home country.
-
This is just one in a sweaty dungeon of hundreds of TikTok videos that show women being stalked, grabbed, tortured, tossed to the ground, and handcuffed by scary masked soldiers.
Verb
-
The singer, 37, was set to take the stand in the case brought against him by his housekeeper, who alleged one of Brown's dogs mauled her sister in 2020.
-
Beaches in Sydney's eastern suburbs reopened on Monday despite Stewart having been mauled by a great white shark just two days ago, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Verb
-
On the fourth day, his team was ambushed and outnumbered by Vietnamese fighters.
-
Ex-Rep Elaine Luria ambushed on camera over 2000% net worth spike during tenure.
Verb
-
Canadian researchers found that older adults who were maltreated as children may face a significantly higher risk of cancer decades later.
-
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.
Verb
-
Pete Alonso gave the Orioles the lead again with a 10th-inning RBI single, but Oswald Peraza scored on Schanuel's soft grounder to tie after Keegan Akin mishandled the toss while covering first.
-
Michael Clark was released from prison in 2025 after his lawyers argued that DNA evidence in the case was mishandled by Woods, but prosecutors are seeking to retry him.
Cite this Entry
“Manhandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandled. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
