Synonyms of mishandling

mishandling 1 of 2

noun

as in mismanagement

Related Words

• mismanagement
• misuse
• abuse
• misapplication
• mismanaging
• mistreatment
• maltreatment
• perversion
• misusage
• ill-treatment
• destruction
• wrecking
• misemployment
• misutilization
• spoiling
• damage
• ill-usage
• desecration
• debasement
• corruption
• profanation
• ruin
• prostitution

Dissimilar Words

• use
• application
• employment
• utilization

mishandling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mishandle

1

as in abusing

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

• abusing
• bullying
• mistreating
• misusing
• manhandling
• torturing
• brutalizing
• violating
• injuring
• taking apart
• maltreating
• hurting
• oppressing
• ill-treating
• ill-using
• messing over
• persecuting
• harassing
• kicking around
• molesting
• harming
• tormenting
• outraging
• working (over)
• victimizing
• wronging
• sandbagging
• beating (up)
• burning
• roughing (up)
• messing (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fostering
• caring (for)
• nurturing
• cherishing
• favoring
• gratifying
• spoiling
• indulging
• catering (to)
• coddling
• humoring
• pampering
• babying
• mollycoddling

2

as in manhandling

to abuse physically

adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abusing
• manhandling
• attacking
• mauling
• maltreating
• ambushing
• torturing
• injuring
• roughing (up)
• misusing
• beating
• mistreating
• hurting
• battering
• slapping
• wounding
• harming
• fighting
• licking
• wrestling
• pummeling
• persecuting
• bashing
• lambasting
• knocking
• thrashing
• buffeting
• roughhousing
• hitting
• ill-treating
• pounding
• ill-using
• assailing
• wronging
• oppressing
• jumping
• tormenting
• clobbering
• drubbing
• pommeling
• ganging up (on)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fondling
• caressing
• petting
• coddling
• fostering
• pampering
• caring (for)
• nurturing
• mollycoddling

3

as in damaging

to manage badly

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• damaging
• mismanaging
• violating
• abusing
• misconducting
• misgoverning
• mistreating
• misusing
• maladministering
• misruling
• bungling
• harming
• hurting
• maltreating
• botching
• ill-treating
• ill-using

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• handling
• governing
• managing
• ruling
• protecting
• helping
• caring (for)
• husbanding
• aiding
• nurturing
• rescuing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mishandling

Noun

Four years before that, the governor ordered an independent review into capital punishment after abruptly stopping the April 2022 execution of Oscar Smith in the 11th hour when officials became aware of a mishandling of the drugs. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

The bill was ushered through the state General Assembly after the discovery of extensive mishandling of bodies at a Carlinville funeral home, where at least 80 families were given the wrong remains. — Casey Toner, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Welch has described his mishandling of this matter as a systemic failure. — David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Hur, following his investigation into Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, released a lengthy report in February 2024 that concluded no criminal charges were warranted against Biden. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026

Shilts made history as the first out gay reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, and then again with this landmark book about the mishandling of the AIDS crisis in its early days. — Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 25 June 2026

The mishandling of pregnancies behind bars is a widespread problem, with women around the country saying they were neglected or harmed while they were locked up. — Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 13 May 2026

Cox fired Tanner in May 1988 for his mishandling of the Braves’ young pitchers, replacing him with Nixon. — Mark Bradley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 9 May 2026

The state Department of Insurance is seeking as much as $4 million in penalties from insurance giant State Farm due to its alleged mishandling of claims filed by survivors of the January 2025 wildfires that swept through the Los Angeles area. — Amancai Biraben, Daily News, 4 May 2026

Verb

Guardrails around Flock cameras have become a rare point of agreement for both Democrats and Republicans after a wave of reports of law enforcement officers mishandling the technology. — AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Prosecutors have also charged Thompson with mishandling classified material. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Flores' attorneys have criticized that decision and also accused Oates' insurer, Chubb, of mishandling the civil claim. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

In May, Xi emphasized to Trump the consequences of mishandling Taiwan. — Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026

What happens if you’re caught mishandling an older person’s savings? — Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Speakers during public comment at the town hall accused the board of mishandling the hiring process and expressed disappointment that another popular candidate, Guion Creek Middle School athletic director John Dawkins, was rejected. — Aubrey Wright, IndyStar, 11 Sep. 2026

The incident is only the latest example of park and zoo visitors mishandling animals in ways that draw public condemnation. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026

What if, instead of paying $250 million after mishandling big stock trades, Morgan Stanley simply wasn’t allowed to do those trades for a while? — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026