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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mishandle
Companies like Outdoor Voices, which announced store closures via Slack messages, exemplify how leaders can mishandle what should be deeply human conversations.
—
Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
However, last month, the DOT launched a new, upgraded complaint platform, called the Aviation Complaint, Enforcement, and Reporting System (ACERS), aimed at overhauling how air travelers raise concerns, including issues such as luggage mishandling and accessibility failures.
—AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
Castle, who has accused the Navy of mishandling her daughter's disappearance, said during a press conference in June that her daughter's body was left exposed for days and was not properly preserved or prepared for viewing.
—Deena Zaru, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025
Pratt’s Office of Student Protections alleged Thuet mishandled that case.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
However, last month, the DOT launched a new, upgraded complaint platform, called the Aviation Complaint, Enforcement, and Reporting System (ACERS), aimed at overhauling how air travelers raise concerns, including issues such as luggage mishandling and accessibility failures.
—AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
Castle, who has accused the Navy of mishandling her daughter's disappearance, said during a press conference in June that her daughter's body was left exposed for days and was not properly preserved or prepared for viewing.
—Deena Zaru, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025
Pratt’s Office of Student Protections alleged Thuet mishandled that case.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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The biggest controversy surrounding Flock Safety centers around allegations that law enforcement agencies have abused the company's technology to target women, immigrants and people engaged in activity.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Ed Gein later told investigators he and his brother were abused by his father, who died in 1940 of heart failure.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Workers described incidents of verbal and physical abuse, including reports from women workers who said they had been manhandled and subjected to obscene remarks and threats.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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Vancouver completely manhandled a similarly representative Flames lineup, ultimately winning 8-1.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The era-spanning series covers the AIDS epidemic, showing how the LGBTQ+ community was mistreated.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
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Rene Gomez, the civic engagement coordinator with the Farmworkers Association of Florida, said many workers who receive H-1B visas are mistreated by their employers through harassment, wage theft, and safety concerns, which are difficult to report because of their immigration status.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Last month, one or more of Gibson's mastiffs allegedly mauled a neighbor’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to death, police said.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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As Burrell was being mauled, her neighbors intervened and came to her rescue.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now he's accused the Indianapolis Democrat of bullying and threatening him.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
3 Oct. 2025
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After getting bullied in elementary school, his mom, the comic book writer Elaine Lee, homeschooled him.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the hands of editor Richard Mettler, some of those fragments serve montages that interlace how the tribes prepare to defend themselves with the way Jalabzeen readies himself to attack.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
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Having attacked the edge of the six-yard box, Rodon has to back-pedal and meet the ball, again, wide of the goal.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, people familiar with the investigation told me that Khan has devoted much of his defense to convincing investigators that Israel and its allies are exploiting the accuser in order to damage him and the court.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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This common strain releases a toxin that can damage blood vessels in the intestines and kidneys, which can cause serious complications like kidney damage.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That low percentage suggests that detention center staff are misusing strip searches, said Dana Flores, senior manager for youth justice in Colorado at the National Center for Youth Law.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
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But all of these things are used as evidence — sometimes the sole evidence — that a person misused their benefits.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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