1
as in abusing
to abuse physically
charges that the police manhandled peaceful protesters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bullying
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
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Recent Examples of manhandling
That’s exactly how the Miami Dolphins performed in Sunday’s 30-13 win against the Buffalo Bills in a contest Miami controlled all game, manhandling the reigning AFC East division champions to prove that the 2025 season isn’t over.
—
Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
But even with Mizzou being able to do what it’s been doing — manhandling the trenches and milking the clock — the results were somewhat spoiled.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
San Francisco tackle Williams is 6-foot-5 and 320, and has been manhandling NFL linemen since Hufanga was a boy running around his parents’ farm in Oregon.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025
Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
But even with Mizzou being able to do what it’s been doing — manhandling the trenches and milking the clock — the results were somewhat spoiled.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
San Francisco tackle Williams is 6-foot-5 and 320, and has been manhandling NFL linemen since Hufanga was a boy running around his parents’ farm in Oregon.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandling
Verb
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The Labor Department inspector general's office has interviewed staff in connection with the investigation, which followed a complaint that Chavez-DeRemer was having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and abusing her office.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Benny isn’t abusing his daughter.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The actor played the bullying older brother to Kevin, coming into the gig after roles in 1989's Little Monsters and on the CBS series Heartland.—
Madeline Boardman,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
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The first step leadership needs to take is to name the behavior and explicitly label it as bullying, both in policy and in practice.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The president also shared clips of the video on his Truth Social handle, along with posts mocking and attacking Pretti.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Stay focused on the issue, rather than attacking the other person’s character.—
Molly Burrets,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Yorgos Lanthimos, Florian Zeller and Juliette Binoche are among more than 800 film professionals who have signed a joint statement condemning the Iranian government for killing and torturing its own people.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
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Dan Bujor, who lives out of a school bus parked in Long Island City, was arrested Sunday on charges including overdriving animals, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide sustenance, in addition to driving without a license, in connection with the bizarre incident, cops said.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Or left tackle Theo Benedet pulling into the open field in Cincinnati, sprinting well beyond the line of scrimmage, starting his block on Geno Stone 4 yards from the sideline, then mauling the Bengals safety within inches of a bench.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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City enters Week 2 of the new campaign as Premier League leader after mauling its way to a 4-0 win over Wolves on opening weekend.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Justice Department recently submitted new information in a court case involving the Social Security Administration, which reveals alleged mishandling of personal data at the agency.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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Federal officials also denied Minnesota state investigators access to the shooting scene in south Minneapolis, prompting local and state officials to accuse the Homeland Security agency of mishandling evidence.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Among the Builsa people, songs are still sung about retreating from slave raiders into rocky and cavernous areas, and then ambushing them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
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Over the past two months, JNIM has stepped up attacks on fuel supplies, ambushing tankers on the roads from Ivory Coast and Senegal.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Point Loma Nazarene’s women’s basketball team improved to 14-4 and climbed back on top of the PacWest Conference standings with a 10-2 mark after beating Azusa Pacific (80-55) and contender Vanguard (59-57) last week.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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In the final, Black & Alshon threw down the gauntlet, beating the top pair in three straight for gold.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manhandling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandling. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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