as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
the foster parent who had been mistreating his charges was sent to jail
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mistreat
Women are often mistreated with aggressive surgical techniques that can be avoided.
—
Nkem Osian, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2025
In court, McGuire's parents, Debbie and Glenn McGuire, alleged that Young mistreated their daughter, per ABC.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 18 July 2025
In the short term, closing the cases would allow the local governments in question to continue allegedly mistreating minority communities, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
—Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 18 July 2025
Carlos said that detainees were frequently mistreated and that guards routinely pepper sprayed and hit them, accusations a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security denied.
—Allison McCann, New York Times, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistreat
Nkem Osian, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2025
In court, McGuire's parents, Debbie and Glenn McGuire, alleged that Young mistreated their daughter, per ABC.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 18 July 2025
In the short term, closing the cases would allow the local governments in question to continue allegedly mistreating minority communities, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
—Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 18 July 2025
Carlos said that detainees were frequently mistreated and that guards routinely pepper sprayed and hit them, accusations a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security denied.
—Allison McCann, New York Times, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistreat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistreat
Verb
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Published in April, the Change Associates review found that a small number of employees continue to abuse their power at the corporation.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
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His father, a livery man, didn’t understand him, and apparently abused him.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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McMillan is used to bullying significantly less talented and shorter corners in the college sphere.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Aug. 2025
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Suicide attempt rates tripled among LGBTQ students who had been bullied in the past year.—
Rachel Ray,
Denver Post,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Ava Gardner was a mid-century bombshell as famous for her relationships with the likes of Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra as for her films, and by the late 1980s, when the play is set, her own star image seems to oppress her.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
8 Aug. 2025
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So, the whole thing just seems naive from people who’ve been oppressed by this murderous regime for 46 years.—
Fiction Non Fiction
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistreat. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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