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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Critics argue that the mandate is unconstitutional and violates separation of church and state.—
Sara Cline,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Republican National Committee, which brought the lawsuit, alleges the policy violates federal law establishing the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as the day for election of members of the House, Senate, and presidential electors, in specified years.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mills attacks Platner's past comments This month, the governor returned to Platner's controversial social media posts, triggering an exchange of advertising that has largely overshadowed the Democrats' arguments to defeat Collins.—
Steve Mistler,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
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Oil tanker traffic through the strait has plunged as Iran attacks commercial ships in the Persian Gulf.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This exposure damages the DNA in skin cells and can trigger changes that cause those cells to grow out of control and turn cancerous.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
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Paralytic polio occurs when the virus damages motor neurons that control muscles.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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When Don injures his hand, Blue (Hunter McVey) is forced to step into the competition for him.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandles. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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