1
as in abuses
to abuse physically
charges that the police manhandled peaceful protesters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bullies
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandles
Verb
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New York City’s child welfare agency routinely abuses its emergency power to take children from their parents without a court order, creating lifelong consequences for families, a new class-action lawsuit seeking to end the practice alleged Thursday.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026 -
People deserve a government that watches out for our people’s best interests, not one that abuses its powers and sells us to the highest bidder.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The Pledge is meaningless if the president of the United States lies to us, divides us, bullies us and steals from us.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Collective action deters bullies Harvard never stood alone.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bain would immediately give the Dolphins an elite, powerful edge defender who mauls blockers in front of him and fits the 4-3 base defense coach Jeff Hafley wants to play as a traditional defensive end.—
Kenny Rosarion,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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Martin mauls Arlington in 8-6A Arlington Martin got 20 points from Steven Reynolds III and 18 more from Levi Moore as the Warriors blasted Arlington 92-46 in a District 8-6A game on Thursday.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Your case shows that persistence, clear documentation and advocacy can make a real difference — even when an airline mishandles a medical refund request.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
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The quarterback mishandles the snap and heaves the ball, which is picked off.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Victor’s own father is obsessed with legacy and perfection and mistreats his boy, and that cycle continues with Victor and the Creature.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Mihály is a brute who mistreats his mother.—
Adam Solomons,
IndieWire,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The retrospection tortures her.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Democrats, meanwhile, say the rhetoric sounds strikingly similar to the populist arguments advanced by the very progressives DeSantis routinely attacks.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
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Dennis waits until Mallory leaves to go on a bike ride, and then attacks her on the path.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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All seems lost when a group of Stormtroopers ambushes the crew, but IG-11 heroically sacrifices himself to save them.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 May 2026
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Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
29 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Manhandles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandles. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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