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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in mismanagement
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Recent Examples of mishandling
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The basis for the recent raid involved information gathered overseas by the CIA that pointed to the possible mishandling of national security information, the New York Times reported.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2025
That Trump has been singularly focused on pop culture comes at a time when his reputation — and that of his administration — has been under fire due to the mishandling of the Epstein files.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Bolton is reportedly under investigation for mishandling classified documents.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony also castigated the deputies for mishandling the 14 calls Mary made to BSO in the year leading up to her death.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
The lawsuit followed a 2022 probe into the company after a rollout of tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour came under intense scrutiny due to its mishandling.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
However, last month, the DOT launched a new, upgraded complaint platform, called the Aviation Complaint, Enforcement, and Reporting System (ACERS), aimed at overhauling how air travelers raise concerns, including issues such as luggage mishandling and accessibility failures.
—AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
Castle, who has accused the Navy of mishandling her daughter's disappearance, said during a press conference in June that her daughter's body was left exposed for days and was not properly preserved or prepared for viewing.
—Deena Zaru, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025
With no special-case engineering and new data, Helix can recover gracefully from mishandling or collisions.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
An infatuation with war is not the same as being guilty of mishandling classified information.
—Isaac Saul, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
The mishandling of his status and the confusion about his availability led the NFL to investigate the matter, which has now led to a massive fine for the Ravens organization.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The basis for the recent raid involved information gathered overseas by the CIA that pointed to the possible mishandling of national security information, the New York Times reported.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2025
That Trump has been singularly focused on pop culture comes at a time when his reputation — and that of his administration — has been under fire due to the mishandling of the Epstein files.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Moments later, Thilly took the microphone and aired his grievances to the mayor, accusing him and the township committee of mishandling a controversial 30-year PILOT tax-exemption deal for a 250-unit apartment complex.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Bolton is reportedly under investigation for mishandling classified documents.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony also castigated the deputies for mishandling the 14 calls Mary made to BSO in the year leading up to her death.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
The lawsuit followed a 2022 probe into the company after a rollout of tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour came under intense scrutiny due to its mishandling.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
However, last month, the DOT launched a new, upgraded complaint platform, called the Aviation Complaint, Enforcement, and Reporting System (ACERS), aimed at overhauling how air travelers raise concerns, including issues such as luggage mishandling and accessibility failures.
—AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
Castle, who has accused the Navy of mishandling her daughter's disappearance, said during a press conference in June that her daughter's body was left exposed for days and was not properly preserved or prepared for viewing.
—Deena Zaru, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025
With no special-case engineering and new data, Helix can recover gracefully from mishandling or collisions.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
An infatuation with war is not the same as being guilty of mishandling classified information.
—Isaac Saul, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandling
Verb
-
The administration has been accused of trying to start a new war and abusing military power by foreign and domestic leaders.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
In a complaint filed in 2023, Gannett and the other plaintiffs accused Google of violating federal antitrust laws by abusing its dominant position to control and profit from the technology used by publishers to buy and sell ads across the internet.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But even with Mizzou being able to do what it’s been doing — manhandling the trenches and milking the clock — the results were somewhat spoiled.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
21 Sep. 2025
-
San Francisco tackle Williams is 6-foot-5 and 320, and has been manhandling NFL linemen since Hufanga was a boy running around his parents’ farm in Oregon.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Many on the left have been in an uproar of late, accusing Trump of damaging White House history as construction begins on a new White House ballroom.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
People have filmed themselves shaving their heads, damaging property, ripping up passports and setting themselves on fire, The Sun reported, citing Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Satellite imagery showing the crisis surrounding Lake Urmia, once one of the world’s largest saltwater lakes, highlights the twin threats of climate change and chronic mismanagement that have plagued Iran's water resources for decades.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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But others would prefer to focus on agency mismanagement instead.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The results are similar, with each former employee’s clique now bullying Robert in protest.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
-
From social media bullying to suicide, mental health isn’t a side issue, though some people may feel that way.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In addition, nine other suspects were arrested for allegedly attacking law enforcement officers over the summer during immigration enforcement operations in and around Los Angeles.—
Louis Casiano , Matt Finn,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In June 2023, Smith was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, a potentially rare and life-threatening bone infection that was attacking her lower vertebrae.—
Alyssa Davis,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Philippines witnessed tens of thousands of Filipinos flooding the streets for days to protest government corruption and misuse of funds intended for flood control projects.—
Michael Shank,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Institutional abuse and misuse of those rules.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ridglan Farms, which was under investigation on allegations of mistreating its dogs, agreed to halt its breeding operation by July 1, meaning employees can no longer breed and sell beagles at the facility.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Israel has strongly denied allegations of mistreating the group.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandling. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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