as in mismanagement
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in manhandling
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
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3
as in damaging
to manage badly
we took over as soon as we realized that the fill-in had been mishandling the situation
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Recent Examples of mishandling
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 May 2026
House Democrats will introduce five articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing him of war crimes in connection with the Iran war, abuse of power and mishandling of the Department of Defense (DOD).
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026
He was indicted on more than three dozen charges stemming from his alleged mishandling of sensitive government records, but the case ended after he was elected to a second term in November 2024.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Joseph States’ front-page News-Sun report last week detailed alleged mishandling of the youngster’s brutal history over a four-year period.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
The inquiry into Kent’s alleged mishandling of classified information reportedly predates his resignation, according to multiple people with knowledge of the matter, Semafor first reported.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026
The agency has faced lawsuits over alleged mishandling of government data and DOGE's access to sensitive personal information.
—ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
Hoping for justice Damage has been done by the mishandling of Thomas’ case, Friedland said — to him, their son, and Thomas’ family.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
Kamin said city contractors working in the area alerted leaders to the mishandling of the bricks by the developer's workers.
—Yvette Orozco, Houston Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
According to police, further investigation led to authorities finding several occasions when Kovarcik and Rahman were observed mishandling other children under their care.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
Read is suing Proctor for allegedly ignoring, mishandling, and manufacturing evidence while investigating her for the 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
The family of a stillborn baby has filed a lawsuit against a Pompano Beach funeral home, accusing the home of mishandling the baby’s unenbalmed remains and leaving him underneath the body of a 200-pound man.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
The year before that, the FTC dinged WW International, formerly Weight Watchers, for illegally collecting and mishandling data from Kurbo, a weight loss app for children.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Rourke admitted to mishandling his career in his Instagram video.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Documents released since December have included redaction errors, leaked victim identities, and ongoing complaints of mishandling by department officials.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
That hearing focused on the recent surge of agents to the state, as both sides pointed fingers at the other for mishandling of the situation in Minnesota.
—March 4, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
On Facebook, the mother of the Poolville student-athlete in question said her son was approved for transfer with full eligibility, but the mishandling of the PAPF changed that.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 May 2026
House Democrats will introduce five articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing him of war crimes in connection with the Iran war, abuse of power and mishandling of the Department of Defense (DOD).
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026
He was indicted on more than three dozen charges stemming from his alleged mishandling of sensitive government records, but the case ended after he was elected to a second term in November 2024.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Joseph States’ front-page News-Sun report last week detailed alleged mishandling of the youngster’s brutal history over a four-year period.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
The inquiry into Kent’s alleged mishandling of classified information reportedly predates his resignation, according to multiple people with knowledge of the matter, Semafor first reported.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026
The agency has faced lawsuits over alleged mishandling of government data and DOGE's access to sensitive personal information.
—ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
Hoping for justice Damage has been done by the mishandling of Thomas’ case, Friedland said — to him, their son, and Thomas’ family.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
Kamin said city contractors working in the area alerted leaders to the mishandling of the bricks by the developer's workers.
—Yvette Orozco, Houston Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
In August 2024, the two were ordered to pay nearly $1 billion to families who sued the couple for mishandling dead relatives' bodies.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
According to police, further investigation led to authorities finding several occasions when Kovarcik and Rahman were observed mishandling other children under their care.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
Read is suing Proctor for allegedly ignoring, mishandling, and manufacturing evidence while investigating her for the 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
The family of a stillborn baby has filed a lawsuit against a Pompano Beach funeral home, accusing the home of mishandling the baby’s unenbalmed remains and leaving him underneath the body of a 200-pound man.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
The year before that, the FTC dinged WW International, formerly Weight Watchers, for illegally collecting and mishandling data from Kurbo, a weight loss app for children.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Rourke admitted to mishandling his career in his Instagram video.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Documents released since December have included redaction errors, leaked victim identities, and ongoing complaints of mishandling by department officials.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
That hearing focused on the recent surge of agents to the state, as both sides pointed fingers at the other for mishandling of the situation in Minnesota.
—March 4, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandling
Noun
-
The condo initiative responds to longstanding complaints from residents—many of them seniors—about deteriorating buildings, rising maintenance fees and mismanagement by condominium boards.—
Veronica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
-
Few, however, anticipated that Washington’s mismanagement of the post-Saddam order would open the door for Iran to penetrate a former adversary and build influence from within.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to a Reddit post from the company and a spokesperson, the Spectrum emails are legit and are part of the FBI’s effort to crack down on Russian hackers abusing 23 TP-Link router models.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
-
He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But this year’s edition could be the best one yet, and the Wolverines will get a chance to prove that next week in Indianapolis after manhandling Tennessee 95-62 yesterday at the United Center to clinch a spot in the Final Four.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Illini literally soaked in the celebration Thursday night after manhandling hometown favorite Houston to advance to the Elite 8 for the second time in three years.—
Ryan Baker,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Besides their obvious beauty, wicker baskets are superior for storage (especially laundry), providing excellent ventilation that prevents mold and mildew from damaging your linens.—
Ashley Poskin,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
-
Baking soda has a mild, yet abrasive texture that can lift out stains causing your tiles to look dull without damaging the surface.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
But your committee chair is begging for it to be extended and saying there's no misuse of it.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
Warren Fairley — who took over for a short stint as Boilermakers president in 2023 after its executive council ousted longtime leader Jones over misuse of union funds — and Jones’ son, Cullen Jones, are scheduled for sentencing on June 30.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Jenner was not personally accused of bullying behavior in the filing brought by Vasquez.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The report examined how job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and workplace bullying contribute to cardiovascular disease and mental disorders.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Winger Xavi Simons’ anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury will keep him out for some time, with striker Dominic Solanke also pulling up — albeit his ailment appears less serious — at Molineux to cast doubt over Spurs’ attacking firepower in the upcoming weeks.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
He was also found guilty of two counts of assault for attacking two other men with butcher knives.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These kind of abuses mean that the department isn't going after oil companies that are price gouging.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
-
Under any other president, DOJ’s recent activity would represent an astonishing abuse of power.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandling. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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