MISTREATING Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

mistreating

verb

present participle of mistreat

as in abusing

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon the foster parent who had been mistreating his charges was sent to jail

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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 mistreating Kanye West is facing another lawsuit accusing him of mistreating a fellow musician. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026 In their July 30 letter, lawmakers noted that there have been at least 15 incidents since 2023 involving staff physically mistreating children at the Morgantown facility, as documented by Pennsylvania state inspectors. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 At the end, Morrison made the boy apologize to his classmates for mistreating them. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 15 July 2026 Collin — who has accused Kate of mistreating him during his childhood — responded to his mom on his Instagram Stories. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 After reporting Lopez missing last September, Lopez’s daughter told a detective that Yepez had been mistreating her mother at work, the police report said. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 One example would be laws prohibiting humans from mistreating AIs psychologically or physically. — Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026 His tenure at Texas Tech came to a messy and uncomfortable end when he was fired for cause after being accused of mistreating a player with a concussion. — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 2 June 2026 Your daughter is mistreating you. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 29 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistreating

Verb

In the film, Morton delivers a powerful monologue about men abusing power.

— Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
An article in the Washington Post chronicled how police officers were caught abusing surveillance technology to stalk ex-wives and, in at least one case, an actress a police officer wanted to meet.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of abusing

Verb

Working off a few vague details, Bret begins to imagine a link between Robert and a serial killer known as the Trawler, who has been abducting and torturing young women around Los Angeles.

— Leo Lasdun, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Chilean prosecutors believe Ojeda died while his captors were torturing him to get information about the Venezuelan political opposition.

— Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 10 July 2026

Definition of torturing

Verb

His distance from Henry was painfully emphasized when his son got in trouble for bullying another classmate, and the idea of Michelle (Andrea Anders) getting engaged to someone else sent him into a tailspin.

— Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026
One dad who recently found out his child was engaged in bullying activity took to Reddit to share his experience.

— Christian Dashiell, Parents, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of bullying

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“Mistreating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistreating. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of mistreating

verb

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