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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Though city leaders agreed the street designation would be a proper way to honor Walton’s legacy, Councilmember Laura Lothian said the idea was mishandled when it was introduced without including Harris.
—
Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Boston initially got a gift when a Masataka Yoshida grounder to second was mishandled and then thrown away by Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall, allowing two runs to score, and Story followed that with his three-run bomb to left field.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
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
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
Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Boston initially got a gift when a Masataka Yoshida grounder to second was mishandled and then thrown away by Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall, allowing two runs to score, and Story followed that with his three-run bomb to left field.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandled
Verb
-
The woman who spoke to the FBI about Staley also alleged she’d been abused by Leon Black, a billionaire and former CEO of Apollo Global Management.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Judge Nancy Abudu — appointed by Joe Biden — said the state and federal government failed to show that the district court abused its power.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Police on Friday closed Kensington Gardens, a central London park visited by thousands of tourists and local residents every day, after a group that Israel has linked to Iran posted a video claiming Israel’s nearby London embassy was going to be attacked with drones carrying dangerous substances.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The rabbi of Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London, which was attacked by arsonists over the weekend, took to social media on Sunday to show members of his congregation gathering in his home to pray.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their daughter was bullied by fake nude images at school.—
Bethany Bruner,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Family believes others may be involved Relatives say Marcus went to the home simply to visit a friend – and that he had been bullied and threatened in the days leading up to the shooting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Did something get squashed en route, then manhandled by Kennedy?—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Along those lines, the Illinois Cannabis Equity Coalition is a nonprofit which advocates for the state’s legal pot program to reinvest in areas damaged by the war on drugs.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Israeli soldiers who damaged a figure of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon and photographed the incident will be removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days of military detention, according to the Israeli military.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Last year, a Dane County judge appointed a special prosecutor to investigate Ridglan Farms after former employees testified that dogs were being mistreated, including having eye surgeries performed on them without general anesthesia.—
Quinn Clark,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The message being sent to lower-ranking officers is that they will be assessed on the basis of their gender, race, or politics, rather than their abilities—which will cause many officers to leave rather than stay and be mistreated, and many potential officers not to enlist to begin with.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The ban was previously enacted in 2009 after a resident was mauled by a pitbull.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The film features a scene in which Luke Skywalker is savagely mauled by the yetilike Wampa.—
Sanat Pai Raikar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For traders, the 50-day was violated during the pullback but the stock fought back above it, and that matters.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The case is one of dozens of lawsuits filed in 2013 alleging oil giants, including Chevron and Exxon, violated state environmental laws for decades.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandled. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
