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
Trump claimed Comey mishandled a 2016 probe into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s private email server, but Comey also refused to pledge loyalty to the president.
—
Douglas M. Charles, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
She and Sollecito were exonerated and released after four years in prison following an appeal, where the court found that Italian authorities had grossly mishandled the case.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Not only that, but Intel mishandled its layoffs, at least at first, with damaging effects.
—Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano has addressed concerns from lawmakers following whistleblower allegations that the federal agency mishandled sensitive personal data.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Pratt’s Office of Student Protections alleged Thuet mishandled that case.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
The case alleges Wilder mishandled Portalatin’s custody case in a Tarrant County family court.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
On Seattle’s final offensive play, Milroe mishandled a snap, essentially ending the game.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Another Reddit user alleged that the rollout was deliberately mishandled to frame the subsequent reversal as a calculated move, to make OpenAI’s leadership appear responsive.
—Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Douglas M. Charles, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
She and Sollecito were exonerated and released after four years in prison following an appeal, where the court found that Italian authorities had grossly mishandled the case.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Not only that, but Intel mishandled its layoffs, at least at first, with damaging effects.
—Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano has addressed concerns from lawmakers following whistleblower allegations that the federal agency mishandled sensitive personal data.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Pratt’s Office of Student Protections alleged Thuet mishandled that case.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
The case alleges Wilder mishandled Portalatin’s custody case in a Tarrant County family court.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
On Seattle’s final offensive play, Milroe mishandled a snap, essentially ending the game.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Another Reddit user alleged that the rollout was deliberately mishandled to frame the subsequent reversal as a calculated move, to make OpenAI’s leadership appear responsive.
—Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandled
Verb
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Ray tells a graphic story about his revenge on a priest who abused him.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ed later told investigators that his father had abused both him and his older sibling.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Eagles attacked Skinner again, and the home crowd begged for a flag after the safety aggressively defended tight end Dallas Goedert, but no penalty was called.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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In the southern border city of Sderot, which was attacked on October 7, and is frequently the target of rocket fire, a group of Israelis gathered at an observation deck overlooking Gaza to revel in its ruin.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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In fact, this whole jaunt to Flatbush has been a somewhat haunting trip down memory lane for Oliver, who has been having flashbacks of being bullied and judged for his little purple scarf and penchant for the arts.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 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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Multiple incidents involving interference allegations and other voting issues were reported in the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, including voter registration ballots being damaged and ballot collection boxes being set on fire.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
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The Gaza Strip itself has been nearly leveled, with the United Nations estimating 78% of structures having been damaged or destroyed, leaving a monumental task of rebuilding for whoever will govern the enclave next.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
7 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
-
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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In Miami Gardens, Doreen Richards Broadbelt, 71, was mauled to death by dogs while walking to work on Labor Day.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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Days later, on September 13, Russian drones violated Romanian airspace, prompting Bucharest to scramble fighter jets.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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In another lawsuit, lawyers argue that the First Amendment rights of detainees are being violated because attorneys face challenges in meeting with their clients at the site.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandled. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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