MISHANDLED Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

mishandled

verb

past tense of mishandle

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in attacked

to abuse physically adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound

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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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of mishandled The court should grant enough time to do that analysis — and everyone involved should hope that the Texas lab does not determine that the Deerfield Beach lab mishandled the sample to the point where no results are obtainable. —

Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026 The Supreme Court should grant enough time to do that analysis — and everyone involved in this case had better pray that the Texas lab doesn’t determine that the Deerfield Beach lab mishandled the sample to the point where no results are obtainable. —

Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026 Turang’s sacrifice bunt was mishandled at first base, putting runners on first and second. —

ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026 Over the next 15 months, Alameda County social workers received at least seven reports that the girl was being abused — warnings that repeatedly were mishandled or went unheeded, according to an investigation by the Bay Area News Group. —

Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 Like investigations were getting mishandled, employee investigations — which are a very big deal. —

Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026 In January, Washington’s mother, Mindi Crapo, filed a lawsuit in Dallas County court against Castro and Valles, alleging one or both were responsible for the crash and that the case was mishandled from the start. —

Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 13 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 In November, a federal judge raised concerns that agents mishandled or destroyed key physical evidence in the case. —

Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandled

Verb

Kaley denied being abused or neglected, though Meta’s attorneys did show some Instagram posts about her mother screaming at her.

— Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
Leah Juliett, also a survivor, still remembers the scarlet lockers at Wolcott High School where she was abused.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026