MOLESTING Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

molesting

verb

present participle of molest

as in mistreating

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for molesting

Verb

Riddle says misdiagnosing and mistreating postpartum psychosis can have adverse effects on patients.

— Louisa Moller, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Kanye West is facing another lawsuit accusing him of mistreating a fellow musician.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of mistreating

Verb

In a statement, Bonta accused Paramount of violating the meeting’s confidentiality.

— Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026
The announcement, which came during a contract bargaining session in July, led to frustrations within the company’s editorial union, which says the Times is violating its own editorial standards around AI use.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of violating

Verb

The Hitlerite hordes are murdering and outraging the peaceful inhabitants of our country, having no mercy on women, children or old people.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
On Day 1 of the truce, and in the days since, Israel has stepped up attacks against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in Lebanon, outraging Iran and leading to accusations the terms had been breached.

— Justin Fishel, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026

Definition of outraging

Verb

Boys are bullying girls in school, customers are harassing Target employees, and there’s now a report that a male doctor asked a woman to undress while wearing the glasses, which can discreetly take photos and videos.

— O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 21 Aug. 2026
Luis Jacobo had been stalking and harassing the victim, calling her hundreds of times a day, appearing uninvited at her home and workplace and leaving unwanted notes and flowers, according to prosecutors.

— City News Service, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of harassing

Verb

In addition to many successes, there is no record of his office abusing employees, leaking passwords, giving the public false information, or losing expensive reports.

— Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2026
Roell was later accused of abusing nonverbal special-needs students at Crosby Elementary School, authorities said.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of abusing

Verb

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

Definition of manhandling

Verb

But, if not, then stop using the existence of those goals as a way of torturing yourself.

— Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Arabella’s adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, and her parents, Adella and Stanley Tom, were arrested three months later and accused of torturing the young girl to death.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of torturing

Verb

In 2022, two corrections officers at the Laurens County Detention Center in South Carolina were arrested and charged with brutalizing an inmate and using a GLOVE device to repeatedly stun them, CNN noted.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026
Each competitor was giving it their all with brutalizing chops, tough suplexes and going above and beyond to try to win that championship.

— Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of brutalizing

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.

Browse Nearby Words

molesters

molesting

molests

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Molesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/molesting. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of molesting

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

devolve

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes