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
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
But those who tried to block the measure said city officials have mishandled the research of City Hall’s future.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 5 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
Freeman floated a ball into the box, and it was mishandled by the Bishop Kenny goalkeeper and landed at the feet of sophomore forward Ariana Doles, who deposited it into the goal for her seventh tally of the year and a 1-0 lead.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Vincent said earlier this week that out of the 171 plays that were called on replay or replay assist, there were only a handful that were mishandled.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
While rare, copperheads can bite if they’re mishandled or feel threatened.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
No after-action reports were needed to know that Los Angeles badly mishandled last January’s fires, which damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 structures, burned more than 37,000 acres and resulted in 31 direct deaths.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
In a recent Instagram post, Pintacura said Thieme misappropriated state funds and grossly mishandled budget protocols.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Dan Rios, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
But those who tried to block the measure said city officials have mishandled the research of City Hall’s future.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 5 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
Freeman floated a ball into the box, and it was mishandled by the Bishop Kenny goalkeeper and landed at the feet of sophomore forward Ariana Doles, who deposited it into the goal for her seventh tally of the year and a 1-0 lead.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Vincent said earlier this week that out of the 171 plays that were called on replay or replay assist, there were only a handful that were mishandled.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
While rare, copperheads can bite if they’re mishandled or feel threatened.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
No after-action reports were needed to know that Los Angeles badly mishandled last January’s fires, which damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 structures, burned more than 37,000 acres and resulted in 31 direct deaths.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
In a recent Instagram post, Pintacura said Thieme misappropriated state funds and grossly mishandled budget protocols.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandled
Verb
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Subscribers’ oral argument Arguing for the subscribers, attorney Amanda Bonn of Susman Godfrey maintained that Gutierrez abused his discretion.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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During that time, court officials said Gillespie abused his position for personal gain.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iran, Israel and the United States also have attacked oil and gas facilities since the war started, worsening supply concerns.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Its national oil company declared force majeure after the country’s sole oil refinery was attacked.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Do not procrastinate — and do not be bullied, either by your spouse or your attorney!—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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Similarly, the defense insists, Oak View Group wasn’t bullied but instead pursued opportunities for collaboration.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Pats manhandled Denver in the AFC Championship Game, thanks mostly to defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
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Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
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Years of sanctions and Ukrainian attacks have damaged parts of Russia's energy infrastructure, limiting the speed at which the country can ramp up production or exports.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite his status as a transfer, Dent mistreated UCLA’s rival from the jump.—
Aaron Heisen,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
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Several cases involve force and abuse The AP’s review found a pattern of charges involving ICE employees and contractors who mistreated vulnerable people in their care.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An Arizona mother of two was mauled to death by three dogs in a horrific attack while protecting her son outside her mother’s Southern California home.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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The 2000s brought Nick Jans’ The Grizzly Maze, which painted a layered, nuanced portrait of Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived alongside coastal brown bears in Katmai Alaska for thirteen summers before being mauled by a bear in 2003.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In January, a judge ruled that the city violated the state’s open meeting law when council members made a plan behind closed doors to sweep 9,800 homeless encampments.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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In February, for instance, the Department of Justice joined a lawsuit brought by the 1776 Project Foundation, alleging that the Los Angeles Unified School District had violated the law by conditioning funding on the basis of student race.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandled. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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