Synonyms of mishandles

mishandles

verb

present tense third-person singular of mishandle

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

• abuses
• mistreats
• misuses
• bullies
• injures
• manhandles
• tortures
• brutalizes
• violates
• oppresses
• maltreats
• takes apart
• hurts
• persecutes
• ill-treats
• ill-uses
• molests
• harasses
• messes over
• harms
• torments
• outrages
• victimizes
• works (over)
• kicks around
• wrongs
• burns
• sandbags
• beats (up)
• roughs (up)
• messes (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fosters
• cherishes
• nurtures
• cares (for)
• favors
• indulges
• babies
• caters (to)
• spoils
• pampers
• humors
• gratifies
• coddles
• mollycoddles

2

as in mauls

to abuse physically

adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abuses
• mauls
• manhandles
• attacks
• maltreats
• injures
• ambushes
• tortures
• mistreats
• misuses
• roughs (up)
• wrestles
• hurts
• beats
• slaps
• pummels
• wounds
• persecutes
• lambastes
• harms
• knocks
• thrashes
• licks
• batters
• bashes
• clobbers
• oppresses
• assails
• fights
• jumps
• hits
• pounds
• ill-treats
• ill-uses
• drubs
• wrongs
• buffets
• torments
• roughhouses
• pommels
• gangs up (on)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fondles
• caresses
• pets
• coddles
• pampers
• fosters
• nurtures
• cares (for)
• mollycoddles

3

as in mismanages

to manage badly

we took over as soon as we realized that the fill-in had been mishandling the situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mismanages
• violates
• abuses
• damages
• misconducts
• mistreats
• misgoverns
• misrules
• misuses
• maladministers
• botches
• bungles
• maltreats
• harms
• hurts
• ill-treats
• ill-uses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• manages
• handles
• governs
• husbands
• rules
• protects
• helps
• cares (for)
• aids
• nurtures
• rescues

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mishandles

Here was a brainy, confident bombshell who couldn’t be treated like a disposable plaything — a type of actor Hollywood has lusted for since those earlier black-and-white classics but usually mishandles. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Your case shows that persistence, clear documentation and advocacy can make a real difference — even when an airline mishandles a medical refund request. — Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 18 May 2026

The quarterback mishandles the snap and heaves the ball, which is picked off. — Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Oct. 2025