mishandle

verb

(ˌ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce mishandle (audio)
Definition of mishandlenext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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 mishandle Guardrails around Flock cameras have become a rare point of agreement for both Democrats and Republicans after a wave of reports of law enforcement officers mishandling the technology. — AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Last week, a Staten Island judge ruled the city mishandled the rollout by unfairly shifting the burden to thousands of homeowners to prove their basic residency and ordered officials to redo the process. — Christina Fan, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors have also charged Thompson with mishandling classified material. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 The Fed’s watchdog said renovations were mishandled, but no laws were broken. — Alec Dent, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
  1. abuse
  2. manhandle
  3. mismanage
  4. mistreat
  5. maul
  6. misconduct
  7. bully
  8. attack
Verb
  • After teenage boys first reported that they had been abused in 2005, Church of the Resurrection conducted an internal investigation that court records show was inconclusive.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Acton’s campaign on Tuesday posted a video of her brother, who supported her backstory about living in a tent and being abused.
    — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • He got stuffed by double-team blocks and turned away by larger Toronto wings, who manhandled the slighter forward in his attempts to create downhill momentum.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Dallas Cowboys were manhandled by the Green Bay Packers 23-13 on Sunday night to drop to 2-4 this season.
    — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of manhandle
Verb
  • Founders often mismanage their crucial first sales hire, mistakenly seeking candidates suited for large corporations.
    — Kate Morgan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Target has been criticized for mismanaging inventory, under-investing in stores and falling behind on the trendy, eye-catching merchandise the retailer built its name on.
    — Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 22 June 2026
Definition of mismanage
Verb
  • Dustin Degenhardt, a voter in the town of Wainwright, said that Albertans have long been mistreated by Canada’s federal government.
    — Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Dustin Degenhardt, a voter in the town of Wainwright, said that Albertans have long been mistreated by Canada's federal government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistreat
Verb
  • In October 2024, a group of lions mauled a zookeeper to death in Crimea after a door inside their enclosure was left unlocked.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Four days after Ismail was attacked, 63-year-old swimmer Greg O’Neill was fatally mauled by a shark.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of maul
Verb
  • The Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year, pointing to misconduct by investigators.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In addition, referees were instructed to apply the rules regarding fouls and misconducts more strictly – a move meant to protect players and their inventiveness.
    — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Definition of misconduct
Verb
  • As recess is one of the most active places for bullying to take place, Rhea wanted to counteract that trend.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Washington should project vision and leadership to its friends, not jarring uncertainty and bullying transactionalism.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of bully
Verb
  • Egypt's president sought to reassure the public that the country wouldn't attack Yemen, and that the military support is limited to defending Saudi territory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack

Browse Nearby Words

misguiding
mishandle
mishandled
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Cite this Entry

“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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