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
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
Charles Borges, the Chief Data Officer at the Social Security Administration (SSA), has resigned following his whistleblower complaint alleging that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) mishandled sensitive personal data of over 300 million Americans.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 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
The process lacked transparency, the Council failed to communicate proactively and critical aspects — like comments to Chief Jennings and the settlement breakdown — were mishandled.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
The Red Sox got the potential tying run on base with two outs in the top of the eighth when Romy Gonzalez hit a soft grounder to shortstop that was mishandled by Jeremy Peña, but the club couldn’t capitalize after Gonzalez was thrown out trying to steal second.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Trump has argued higher rates are stifling growth and hurting American homeowners and businesses and demanded drastic rate cuts of up to three percentage points—a move economists warn could risk unleashing new inflation if mishandled.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2025
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
Charles Borges, the Chief Data Officer at the Social Security Administration (SSA), has resigned following his whistleblower complaint alleging that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) mishandled sensitive personal data of over 300 million Americans.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 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
The process lacked transparency, the Council failed to communicate proactively and critical aspects — like comments to Chief Jennings and the settlement breakdown — were mishandled.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
The Red Sox got the potential tying run on base with two outs in the top of the eighth when Romy Gonzalez hit a soft grounder to shortstop that was mishandled by Jeremy Peña, but the club couldn’t capitalize after Gonzalez was thrown out trying to steal second.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Trump has argued higher rates are stifling growth and hurting American homeowners and businesses and demanded drastic rate cuts of up to three percentage points—a move economists warn could risk unleashing new inflation if mishandled.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandled
Verb
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In a bipartisan vote, 49 Republicans joined Democrats to repeal the authorizations, which members say have been abused to justify later military actions.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
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The biggest Flock controversy centers on allegations that law enforcement has abused the company’s surveillance network to target women, immigrants, and people engaging in legal activity outside their home states.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Captured on live television, rioters attacked the Capitol and breached the Senate floor.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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In 1986, Iranian warplanes attacked Emirati oil platforms off the coast of the capital, Abu Dhabi.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Friends of mine received unwanted explicit snaps from male peers, some were contacted by complete strangers, and many were bullied on the platform.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
12 Sep. 2025
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His twin sister, Danielle, who is also autistic, was bullied by classmates and became suicidal.—
Fred Clasen-Kelly,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Pats got manhandled by Mother Nature and the Dolphins over a 20-7 loss played out under 90-degree temperatures.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Tigers then manhandled Ball State.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Reportedly, 3 lakh acres of farmlands have been damaged and according to the Punjab state government half a million people across 23 districts have been affected by floods.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
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The Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre will return to its home base, the Warwick Theatre, next week for its first production there since a fire badly damaged the historic venue 19 months ago.—
Dan Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Newsrooms — like many other companies, amid a tight labor market and booming economy — responded with intense sympathy for junior employees who felt mistreated by managers and bullied by untouchable stars.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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But fans could only view Linda as a direct replacement of Lennon, and she was mistreated in the press and by fans, showcasing an open misogyny that calls to mind Yoko Ono’s mistreatment.—
Caleb Hammond,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Toledo, a misread contributed to a Black man being mauled by a police K-9 dog after a traffic stop.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The swift guilty verdict for Arne Cheyenne Johnson, whose girlfriend had recently been mauled by his victim, speaks to the court and the public’s reaction to that wild legal strategy.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wake County schools violated policy when staff did not address the effects of bullying on Danielle, said an April 2024 letter from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.—
Fred Clasen-Kelly,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
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Argentina and other countries under Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) also have protections that may be violated by tariffs, Comprés said.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandled. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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