1
as in abused
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 attacked
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mismanaged
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 mishandled
Jon and Carie Hallford Wagoner County Sheriff Families argued this falls short of justice, saying the pair should receive at least 191 years — one for each body recovered — plus additional time for the hundreds of other remains that may have been mishandled.
—
Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Following his 2023 conviction, Michel requested a retrial, alleging that one of his then-lawyers, David Kenner, mishandled his case by using AI to write closing arguments.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2025
The Royal Commission concluded in 2015 that the Assemblies of God had mishandled the Houston case and others like it.
—Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 19 Dec. 2025
In Smith’s third episode, Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) mishandled a live hand grenade, prompting her liaison, Zosia (Karolina Wydra), to quickly dispose of it and shield Carol from the nearby blast.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
In August 2024 alone, for example, federal statistics show airlines mishandled more than 260,000 bags in the US.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
Reports of dangerous side effects are extremely rare, and typically linked to counterfeit or mishandled Botox.
—NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent headlines prove that, like any food, frozen items can be dangerous when mishandled at the farm, in the factory, on the road, at the warehouse, at the store or by the consumer.
—Darin Detwiler, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Gasoline Disposal Safety Tips Gasoline is extremely dangerous if mishandled.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Following his 2023 conviction, Michel requested a retrial, alleging that one of his then-lawyers, David Kenner, mishandled his case by using AI to write closing arguments.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2025
The Royal Commission concluded in 2015 that the Assemblies of God had mishandled the Houston case and others like it.
—Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 19 Dec. 2025
In Smith’s third episode, Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) mishandled a live hand grenade, prompting her liaison, Zosia (Karolina Wydra), to quickly dispose of it and shield Carol from the nearby blast.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
In August 2024 alone, for example, federal statistics show airlines mishandled more than 260,000 bags in the US.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
Reports of dangerous side effects are extremely rare, and typically linked to counterfeit or mishandled Botox.
—NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent headlines prove that, like any food, frozen items can be dangerous when mishandled at the farm, in the factory, on the road, at the warehouse, at the store or by the consumer.
—Darin Detwiler, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Gasoline Disposal Safety Tips Gasoline is extremely dangerous if mishandled.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandled
Verb
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The suit alleges that Ham abused her repeatedly over a number of years, and that defendants knew of the abuse, but instead chose to prioritize reputational and financial interests over her safety.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Canty, a former special agent in charge of the SBI’s Charlotte region office, resigned from the Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office in November 2024 and issued a letter then alleging that McFadden abused his powers.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Crabtree stopped, turned, attacked the ball and snagged it.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Nelson claimed to police that the man attacked her and their son after opening the car door.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For the second game running, Omari Hutchinson was too easily bullied off the ball in a dangerous area.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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By the time Zoe turns up dead, stabbed to death in her bathtub, Anna begins to put the pieces together that Lexi, her work nemesis, is actually Catherine—the girl her friends had bullied at school.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
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
-
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 13 apartments were damaged by fire, smoke or water.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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But overloading the dishwasher can result in dirty dishes that need to be put through a second cycle to get clean, and dishes that are crammed in may become damaged.—
Elizabeth Brownfield,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On March 30, 2023, Howe conducted a traffic stop and arrested Shyla Wolf, who later complained to the police chief that she was mistreated by Howe.—
Clark Kauffman,
Des Moines Register,
8 Jan. 2026
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In a little over four months in prison, he's already filed official complaints claiming he's been mistreated, harassed and threatened by his fellow inmates.—
Michael Ruiz , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
6 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In September, a 71-year-old woman was mauled to death by dogs in Miami Gardens, and a dog killed a 5-month-old infant near Daytona Beach in July.—
Nicole R. Kurtz,
Miami Herald,
18 Dec. 2025
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The botanical zoo, which is home to hundreds of animal species, confirmed Machado, 19, was mauled to death in a news release shared on Instagram.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The addition of those provisions, the lawsuit argues, violated a requirement in the Missouri Constitution that laws only deal with one subject.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
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The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandled. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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