as in abused
Related Words
Relevance
as in bullied
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
the foster parent who had been mistreating his charges was sent to jail
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 mistreated
Yuval Levin, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Workers have reported feeling hungry, frustrated and mistreated, with some now discussing paying out of their own pockets to helicopter a food drop into the remote area.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
He and his community have been misled and mistreated.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Romero said the prompt release of the detainees is especially important because many have been badly mistreated and some have died in detention.
—John Otis, NPR, 12 Jan. 2026
Anyone in Oakland County who suspects an animal is being abused or mistreated is asked to call Animal Control at 248-858-1090.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
On March 30, 2023, Howe conducted a traffic stop and arrested Shyla Wolf, who later complained to the police chief that she was mistreated by Howe.
—Clark Kauffman, Des Moines Register, 8 Jan. 2026
In a little over four months in prison, he's already filed official complaints claiming he's been mistreated, harassed and threatened by his fellow inmates.
—Michael Ruiz , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025
They were routinely mistreated by employers who flouted wage, food, and housing guarantees.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
The appeal of this approach is easy to see, especially for those on the right who have felt mistreated by American elites for years.
—Yuval Levin, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Workers have reported feeling hungry, frustrated and mistreated, with some now discussing paying out of their own pockets to helicopter a food drop into the remote area.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
He and his community have been misled and mistreated.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Romero said the prompt release of the detainees is especially important because many have been badly mistreated and some have died in detention.
—John Otis, NPR, 12 Jan. 2026
Anyone in Oakland County who suspects an animal is being abused or mistreated is asked to call Animal Control at 248-858-1090.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
On March 30, 2023, Howe conducted a traffic stop and arrested Shyla Wolf, who later complained to the police chief that she was mistreated by Howe.
—Clark Kauffman, Des Moines Register, 8 Jan. 2026
In a little over four months in prison, he's already filed official complaints claiming he's been mistreated, harassed and threatened by his fellow inmates.
—Michael Ruiz , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025
They were routinely mistreated by employers who flouted wage, food, and housing guarantees.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistreated
Adjective
-
Help for abused animals gets national recognition From backyard breeders to dog-fighting rings, smaller law enforcement agencies can quickly become overwhelmed when responding to major animal hoarding and abuse cases.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
25 Nov. 2025
-
Its abused hydrology forms the armature of a shadow city—a new form of urban infrastructure that is unplanned and unwelcome—within a city that does not acknowledge its shadow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
For the second game running, Omari Hutchinson was too easily bullied off the ball in a dangerous area.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
By the time Zoe turns up dead, stabbed to death in her bathtub, Anna begins to put the pieces together that Lexi, her work nemesis, is actually Catherine—the girl her friends had bullied at school.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When being tortured, name names.—
Keith McNally,
Vanity Fair,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Compared with the eight million Venezuelans who had fled the country, the nearly twenty thousand who had been detained for political reasons, the thousands who had been extrajudicially executed, and the hundreds who had been tortured, the deaths of a few dozen people seemed of little significance.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistreated. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
