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
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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
Rourke admitted to mishandling his career in his Instagram video.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Documents released since December have included redaction errors, leaked victim identities, and ongoing complaints of mishandling by department officials.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
On an out-of-bounds play, the ball was mishandled by Damien and Crespi junior guard Carter Barnes tried to secure a steal.
—Dan Rios, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
That hearing focused on the recent surge of agents to the state, as both sides pointed fingers at the other for mishandling of the situation in Minnesota.
—March 4, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Documents released since December have included redaction errors, leaked victim identities, and ongoing complaints of mishandling by department officials.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
On an out-of-bounds play, the ball was mishandled by Damien and Crespi junior guard Carter Barnes tried to secure a steal.
—Dan Rios, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
That hearing focused on the recent surge of agents to the state, as both sides pointed fingers at the other for mishandling of the situation in Minnesota.
—March 4, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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Prosecutors argue that Duckett was a monster in disguise who abused the badge and brutally raped and killed Teresa before dumping her body in a lake.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The officer laughed and explained that someone had called in a report about a canine possibly being abused or in need of emergency veterinary care due to the noise.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Stella was torn between getting it right and being manhandled by Meredith.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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Lee had been caught on video back in 2017 shouting at a woman who was reportedly his girlfriend, manhandling her and calling her names, in a confrontation allegedly broken up by a teammate.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 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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People created memes and videos mocking Roan for mistreating children.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
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Brazilian soccer star Jorginho Frello is accusing Chappell Roan‘s team of mistreating his 11-year-old daughter at a hotel in São Paulo.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Fueled by those eagles, Åberg has mauled the par 5s to the tune of 8 under par, two strokes better than anyone else through two days.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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The men who are in the legislature’s top leadership positions maul the budget the committee chaired by two diligent women adopts after weeks of hearings and deliberations.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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We just got bullied to the basket.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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And your husband should not have allowed himself to be bullied by his brother into sending a second present.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Authorities are working to identify the owner of a dog that entered a Midlothian home and attacked a 1‑year‑old child and an adult, leaving them bloodied and the child hospitalized with severe injuries.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Banchero’s ball The Magic forward attacked downhill early and often to notch 10 points in the opening quarter and a team-high 18 in the first half.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a social media post on Monday morning, Kuwait said a service building at a power generation and water desalination plant were damaged in an attack Sunday evening, killing one worker.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
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At least 12 residents have been displaced after a three-alarm fire heavily damaged five homes in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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