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
In jurisdictions like the EU, mishandling personal information may violate provisions of the bloc’s strict data privacy law, GDPR, which includes principles like data minimization, informed consent, and the right to be forgotten.
—
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
The Chicago Cubs won 2-0 over the San Francisco Giants after 4½ innings and a 4-hour, 34-minute rain delay when the grounds crew mishandled the tarp.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Having access to banking information, credit history and even tax returns could introduce risk of the system unknowingly mishandling borrowers’ information.
—Reza Ghazi, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The city mishandled the $305,000 Jennings settlement by conducting it in a private meeting without prompt public disclosure, eroding trust.
—Nicholas Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
The Chicago Cubs won 2-0 over the San Francisco Giants after 4½ innings and a 4-hour, 34-minute rain delay when the grounds crew mishandled the tarp.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Having access to banking information, credit history and even tax returns could introduce risk of the system unknowingly mishandling borrowers’ information.
—Reza Ghazi, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The city mishandled the $305,000 Jennings settlement by conducting it in a private meeting without prompt public disclosure, eroding trust.
—Nicholas Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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The Commission said Google’s market power has been abused since 2014.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
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Moore previously served as the defense attorney for Louise and David Turpin, the California couple who abused and imprisoned their 13 children and dependent adults in a 'house of horrors' for years.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As lead character Lee Raybon, Ethan Hawke gets beaten up (and manhandled, and shoved in the trunk of a car) a good amount in the trailer.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Aug. 2025
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Early indications suggest they are still getting manhandled up front.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Victor’s own father is obsessed with legacy and perfection and mistreats his boy, and that cycle continues with Victor and the Creature.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Newsrooms — like many other companies, amid a tight labor market and booming economy — responded with intense sympathy for junior employees who felt mistreated by managers and bullied by untouchable stars.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Charlotte had fallen 34-11 to Appalachian State in a loss the week before, and the Tar Heels had gotten mauled, 48-14, in Chapel Hill by TCU.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
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In 2024, the competition was delayed a week after one of the contestants was fatally mauled by a rival bear with the attack seen on the live webcams.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The first touchdown of the year was bullied into the end zone by Williams, who wouldn’t be done in this game.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Owen's best friend, Khloe Wilson, was suspected of sending the messages early in the investigation due to past tensions with Lauryn and bullying accusations.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mastantuono, 18, has the characteristics to contribute from a deeper position, but his signing was intended for more attacking areas, as is being seen.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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An elderly Arkansas man is in the hospital after a black bear attacked him in Franklin County on Wednesday.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Washing a couch or sofa, professional carpet and upholstery cleaner Ben Brazell says, is more precarious than carpet cleaning because the upholstery is often a lot more expensive and much easier to damage.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
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Private homes, farm buildings and power lines were damaged, Gusev said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In 2024, he was twice arrested for misusing 911, but again no case files correspond with those arrests.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
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Leaders from Jackson Hospital and Baptist Health Systems, who were present at the dental clinic’s opening day, said community clinics like UHI help keep people from misusing the Emergency Departments at hospitals — which can run patients a bill of $800 a night.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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