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
Relevance
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
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 mishandles
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandles
Verb
-
New York City’s child welfare agency routinely abuses its emergency power to take children from their parents without a court order, creating lifelong consequences for families, a new class-action lawsuit seeking to end the practice alleged Thursday.
-
People deserve a government that watches out for our people’s best interests, not one that abuses its powers and sells us to the highest bidder.
Verb
-
Bain would immediately give the Dolphins an elite, powerful edge defender who mauls blockers in front of him and fits the 4-3 base defense coach Jeff Hafley wants to play as a traditional defensive end.
-
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.
Verb
-
Filing a false immigration claim violates anti-fraud statues, according to DHS General Counsel James Percival, and those who file them should be held accountable, according to a memo from Percival and reviewed by ABC News.
-
In 2022, a federal judge ruled that the state law violates Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act.
Verb
-
Platner is also an unfaithful spouse who mistreats women.
-
Victor’s own father is obsessed with legacy and perfection and mistreats his boy, and that cycle continues with Victor and the Creature.
Verb
-
The 6-foot-9 Haugh stretches defenses with his shooting, attacks the rim, thrives in transition and guards multiple positions.
-
Zuko attacks Katara while Azula attacks Aang, ultimately injuring him and leaving his fate unclear as Team Avatar escapes.
Verb
-
Dana Sue and Ronnie's strained relationship is exasperated by a fire that breaks out — accelerated by off-brand e-bikes Ronnie bought behind Dana Sue’s back and stored in their garage — and damages their house.
-
Roslovic’s poor playoff showing severely damages his chances of earning an extension with the Oilers for next season and of a sizable deal elsewhere.
Verb
-
Early on in the clip, Jake Johnson’s former tennis star Dusty Boyd trips over the net and injures his wrist in a bad way.
-
Who is responsible when a robot breaks something or injures someone?
Verb
-
In addition, referees were instructed to apply the rules regarding fouls and misconducts more strictly – a move meant to protect players and their inventiveness.
Cite this Entry
“Mishandles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandles. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
