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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to manhandle
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of mishandle
According to police, further investigation led to authorities finding several occasions when Kovarcik and Rahman were observed mishandling other children under their care.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
Societies often mishandle preventable harm in recognizably similar ways.
—Barry R. Davis, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Though city leaders agreed the street designation would be a proper way to honor Walton’s legacy, Councilmember Laura Lothian said the idea was mishandled when it was introduced without including Harris.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
And Disney can still mishandle a specific dispute with that family in Florida.
—Kelsey Maurine Brickl, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
Societies often mishandle preventable harm in recognizably similar ways.
—Barry R. Davis, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Though city leaders agreed the street designation would be a proper way to honor Walton’s legacy, Councilmember Laura Lothian said the idea was mishandled when it was introduced without including Harris.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
And Disney can still mishandle a specific dispute with that family in Florida.
—Kelsey Maurine Brickl, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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The daughter of one of those killed in the Bondi attacks said that a year earlier she was verbally abused while carrying her baby in a Sydney shopping mall by a man who spotted her Star of David necklace.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
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There will be heavy reviews/assurances that those kept in state care are treated well and not abused, as in past histories.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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The $100 million price tag attached to the legal action is to make sure the city takes Brown’s allegations seriously — and ensure no one else is manhandled by the police without cause, Brown’s attorney Derek Sells of the Cochran Firm said.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But given the agency’s track record of withholding information, mismanaging funds and failing to comply with audit recommendations, assurances alone are not enough.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a letter last week demanding information about the project and accusing the state of mismanaging federal funds.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Activists accused the facility of mistreating the dogs that were being bred for laboratory testing.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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The Daily Mail, which obtained a copy the new lawsuit Friday, reported that Juana Delgado Soto alleges that Jenner failed to intervene to stop other staff from mistreating her.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The arrangement appeared to be working out well until that morning, when less than an hour after Loyalty's arrival, Miller called 911 to report that the boy had been mauled by her two Great Dane/Mastiff mixes.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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Most occur as the closing credits roll, whether pretending to be viciously mauled by a bear or, even more unnervingly, clearly superimposing his face onto the body of a performing cellist.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Baldwin will play the mayor of the town and Rose, who founded anti-cyber-bullying platform Babes Against Bullying, his daughter.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
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Scott Rudin, who was the subject of allegations of bullying that provoked an industry reckoning on abusive workplace behavior in 2021, is a producer on the revival, which has become one of the unmissable events of the season.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
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In fact, the Sixers will be better equipped to attack this Knicks flaw if Embiid can return at any point in the series.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
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In one of the evening’s most striking moments, Raman accused Bass and Pratt of working together to attack her.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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In a sane world, Congress would put a stop to it and reassert its own power to regulate import duties; unfortunately, this particular GOP Congress seems content enough to be a lapdog watching Trump usurp them and damage the economy and our international standing.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
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Conducting a soil test will eliminate the guesswork when choosing the right type and amount of fertilizer for your trees, as using too much fertilizer or the incorrect type can severely damage them.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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