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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mishandle
South Korea has admitted its agencies mishandled adoptions after an investigation sparked by hundreds of complaints from adoptees.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
Baltimore Sun Up three with seconds to play and Alabama owning possession again — the same situation the Terps mishandled minutes earlier — Maryland didn’t foul and closed out the victory.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Democrats mishandled the border under Biden and abandoned the tough-on-immigration policies the party had under Presidents Clinton and Obama, playing right into Trump's signature issue.
—Alex Thompson, Axios, 22 Mar. 2025
With reduced oversight, loan servicers may mishandle payments, misapply forbearances, or send incorrect billing information.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
Baltimore Sun Up three with seconds to play and Alabama owning possession again — the same situation the Terps mishandled minutes earlier — Maryland didn’t foul and closed out the victory.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Democrats mishandled the border under Biden and abandoned the tough-on-immigration policies the party had under Presidents Clinton and Obama, playing right into Trump's signature issue.
—Alex Thompson, Axios, 22 Mar. 2025
With reduced oversight, loan servicers may mishandle payments, misapply forbearances, or send incorrect billing information.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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The ways in which these attackers have abused Google’s email system clearly needs to be patched.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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Donald Trump is abusing the levers of government to launch an attack against New York Attorney General Tish James on what seem to be pretty flimsy claims of fraud.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Grant manhandled weaker offensive linemen in college, but there are concerns about his game translating to the NFL.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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Brito looked completely out of his depth as he was manhandled en route to a lopsided loss.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But the organization is also financially mismanaged, medically irresponsible, and plagued with scandal.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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Of course, this conversation is happening against the backdrop of a correctional system that remains mismanaged and dangerous, and a change of venue is not going to magically fix that.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Behind her glamorous exterior, the real Dorothy was a closeted lesbian who struggled with substance abuse and was mistreated by the men within Hollywood’s studio system before ultimately committing suicide.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
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English, who denies the allegations, is at least the second state legislator to be investigated for allegedly mistreating aides in the past year.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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No left tackle to prevent Drake Maye from getting mauled is on the horizon.—
Bill Speros,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2025
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Then at about 9 a.m., someone called 911 to report a pack of dogs was mauling a woman in the front yard of a home.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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So, thank you for bullying me into getting surgical hair replacement.—
Joey Nolfi,
EW.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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There have been 604 bullying and harassment cases, an average of 55 a year.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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According to a 2021 report by the Lowy Institute, almost one in five Chinese Australians reported being physically threatened or attacked in the previous year.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
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Police are searching for three suspects who were caught on video repeatedly attacking a 61-year-old trans woman outside of her convenience store in Los Angeles’ Westlake neighborhood.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Arson – To unlawfully and intentionally damage or attempt to damage any real or personal property of another person or entity by fire or incendiary device.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Apr. 2025
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Sudden kicks, jumps, tackles, and awkward leg movements can damage groin muscles.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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