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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of manhandling
But this year’s edition could be the best one yet, and the Wolverines will get a chance to prove that next week in Indianapolis after manhandling Tennessee 95-62 yesterday at the United Center to clinch a spot in the Final Four.
—
Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The Illini literally soaked in the celebration Thursday night after manhandling hometown favorite Houston to advance to the Elite 8 for the second time in three years.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Lee had been caught on video back in 2017 shouting at a woman who was reportedly his girlfriend, manhandling her and calling her names, in a confrontation allegedly broken up by a teammate.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Social media served up a daily video deluge of heavily armed agents randomly manhandling dark-skinned people.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
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
Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The Illini literally soaked in the celebration Thursday night after manhandling hometown favorite Houston to advance to the Elite 8 for the second time in three years.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Lee had been caught on video back in 2017 shouting at a woman who was reportedly his girlfriend, manhandling her and calling her names, in a confrontation allegedly broken up by a teammate.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Social media served up a daily video deluge of heavily armed agents randomly manhandling dark-skinned people.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandling
Verb
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Instead of writing obvious viruses, attackers are increasingly abusing legitimate features built into operating systems and cloud services.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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Ensuring your Wi-Fi router receives software updates is crucial to patching vulnerabilities, especially since the router ban is all about stopping hackers from abusing flaws in today’s home networking gear.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Online platforms are generally not legally responsible for the content that their users post; Meta, for example, would not be liable for bullying comments or imagery for self-harm posted onto Facebook.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Lendeborg had a highlight-reel dunk by bullying his way through two defenders and finishing his transition drive with a dunk to put Michigan up 66-57.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The adjective ‘brave’ should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Trump reacted by attacking Springsteen over his physical appearance and urging his MAGA fanbase to boycott the tour.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two recent cases of parents in Round Lake Beach and Fox Lake charged with several counts each of torturing and abusing their children — in one case allegedly causing a son’s death — point to the need for some sort of parental licensing.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk.—
Derek Tran,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 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 family of a stillborn baby has filed a lawsuit against a Pompano Beach funeral home, accusing the home of mishandling the baby’s unenbalmed remains and leaving him underneath the body of a 200-pound man.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
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The year before that, the FTC dinged WW International, formerly Weight Watchers, for illegally collecting and mishandling data from Kurbo, a weight loss app for children.—
Sasha Richie,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Grass lines in 8 to 15 feet of water make a perfect location for ambushing their prey and hiding from other predatory fish like muskies.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
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Rajabi was therefore reduced to meeting Khamenei by ambushing him after evening prayers in his compound.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Willacy, who received the death penalty for beating his neighbor with a hammer and setting her on fire in 1990 in Palm Bay, Florida, is scheduled to be executed on April 21.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, UConn earned a ticket to the final game after beating Illinois, 71-62, in hopes of earning its seventh championship title.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manhandling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandling. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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