1
as in abuses
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 mauls
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mismanages
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 mishandles
The quarterback mishandles the snap and heaves the ball, which is picked off.
—
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Oct. 2025
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandles
Verb
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Under my watch, anyone who abuses wildlife in Florida will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Martin mauls Arlington in 8-6A Arlington Martin got 20 points from Steven Reynolds III and 18 more from Levi Moore as the Warriors blasted Arlington 92-46 in a District 8-6A game on Thursday.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Victor’s own father is obsessed with legacy and perfection and mistreats his boy, and that cycle continues with Victor and the Creature.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Mihály is a brute who mistreats his mother.—
Adam Solomons,
IndieWire,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Alderson, president of the school’s Young Democrats club, said the governor’s endorsement violates the requirement that governments not favor a particular religion.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Two federal lawsuits have been filed in Florida challenging the requirement, arguing that requiring documentary proof of citizenship and marking that status on identification violates constitutional protections under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The man attacks the woman with the hammer multiple times before stepping over her unmoving body and walking away out of the frame of the camera.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Apr. 2026
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She was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa — an eye disease that causes vision loss — and lupus, a disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy tissues and organs instead of fighting germs, according to court records.—
Chase Jordan
April 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For example, an extreme weather event that damages infrastructure could impact a critical supply chain node, which has a derivative impact on economic growth and credit.—
Rob Fauber,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
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New research suggests that skipping the pillow could help prevent the development of glaucoma, an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can cause vision loss or blindness.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In her desperation to ask Val for a job on the new sitcom, Sharon falls and injures herself.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
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Pool drain seriously injures girl Paloma Quatrini was just days away from her fourth birthday when the accident happened at an upscale resort in Mexico.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandles. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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