1
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
having been shuffled from foster home to foster home, the orphaned girl felt she had been mishandled by an uncaring society
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2
as in to manhandle
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
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3
as in to mismanage
to manage badly
we took over as soon as we realized that the fill-in had been mishandling the situation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mishandle
He is accused of intentionally misleading the U.S. Small Business Administration and mishandling loan funds, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
—
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
The claim filed by Brian Marvel of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, or PORAC, a politically influential trade association that advocates for law enforcement officers across the state, accuses DeMaio of mishandling campaign donations to the political action committee.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
The sisters previously sued their brother in June seeking an accounting of their father's assets, and alleging Danny Bennett had mishandled them.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2025
In July 2024, Baldwin also went on trial for involuntary manslaughter but the case against him was dismissed after a judge determined that some of the evidence had been mishandled.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
The claim filed by Brian Marvel of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, or PORAC, a politically influential trade association that advocates for law enforcement officers across the state, accuses DeMaio of mishandling campaign donations to the political action committee.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
The sisters previously sued their brother in June seeking an accounting of their father's assets, and alleging Danny Bennett had mishandled them.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2025
In July 2024, Baldwin also went on trial for involuntary manslaughter but the case against him was dismissed after a judge determined that some of the evidence had been mishandled.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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For one, the Fed is unconstrained in its printing of dollars and is therefore more likely to abuse that power in its attempt to stabilize the US economy.—
Korok Ray,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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There are players who abused steroids, served their penalty and are now back in the game.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2025
Verb
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As a team, the Celtics shot 4-for-20 from deep and were manhandled on the boards, with New York owning a 32-18 rebounding edge at halftime.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
17 May 2025
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Winning on the margins must replace manhandling inferior opponents, perhaps why base runners who rarely showed any aggression are now hunting an extra 90 feet with every ball put in play.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Established in the early days of pandemic shutdowns in 2020, the IDES program for enhanced unemployment insurance was overwhelmed with claims and badly mismanaged, the Illinois auditor general found in a report issued in 2023.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2025
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The contours remain the same: negligent and mismanaged staff fail to prevent frequent incidents of violence in ways that harm both the people incarcerated at the facility and the staff themselves.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2025
Verb
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Trump is working to weaponize immigration enforcement to create an increasingly brutal and unaccountable system — one where anyone could be mistreated, denied justice and left without recourse.—
Juan Vargas,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 May 2025
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Picasso was known for mistreating the women in his life.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Pit bulls became a topic of interest in his work after his wife, Jeanetta, and their taco terrier, Benji, were mauled by a pit bull mix in their Harrison neighborhood.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2025
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An Oklahoma father found his 6-year-old son covered in blood and bite wounds after he was fatally mauled by several dogs outside their home, officials said.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2025
Verb
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His rustiness was evident, as he was bullied off the ball often and punished for an uncharacteristically poor first touch at the Emirates Stadium.—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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But he’s bullied at that school, and even at home, things rarely go his way.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025
Verb
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There are several leaf spotting diseases that can attack hydrangeas.—
Janet B. Carson,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
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According to authorities, Ward told them the fight and stabbing were self-defense, claiming the mother attacked and punched her several times in the face.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Without being able to urinate it out, like healthy people do, the ammonia would build up and damage first his brain and then his whole body.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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All of the 37 public hospitals in Khartoum have been severely damaged and looted, Saad said.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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