1
as in to abuse
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to manhandle
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mismanage
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mishandle
According to police, further investigation led to authorities finding several occasions when Kovarcik and Rahman were observed mishandling other children under their care.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
Societies often mishandle preventable harm in recognizably similar ways.
—Barry R. Davis, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Though city leaders agreed the street designation would be a proper way to honor Walton’s legacy, Councilmember Laura Lothian said the idea was mishandled when it was introduced without including Harris.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
And Disney can still mishandle a specific dispute with that family in Florida.
—Kelsey Maurine Brickl, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
Societies often mishandle preventable harm in recognizably similar ways.
—Barry R. Davis, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Though city leaders agreed the street designation would be a proper way to honor Walton’s legacy, Councilmember Laura Lothian said the idea was mishandled when it was introduced without including Harris.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
And Disney can still mishandle a specific dispute with that family in Florida.
—Kelsey Maurine Brickl, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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According to Lewkowitz, if a grower abuses the soil, the system ceases to be viable, leaving zero likelihood of success from a sustainability standpoint.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Intermediate scrutiny is why men abuse women at such high rates and get away with it.—
Wendy Murphy,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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The $100 million price tag attached to the legal action is to make sure the city takes Brown’s allegations seriously — and ensure no one else is manhandled by the police without cause, Brown’s attorney Derek Sells of the Cochran Firm said.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But given the agency’s track record of withholding information, mismanaging funds and failing to comply with audit recommendations, assurances alone are not enough.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a letter last week demanding information about the project and accusing the state of mismanaging federal funds.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That says a lot about Michael rescuing other people who felt that they were being abused, mistreated.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
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Advocates say the family is worried that if they're returned to Egypt, they'll be labeled as terrorists and be targeted by the Egyptian government and mistreated.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The arrangement appeared to be working out well until that morning, when less than an hour after Loyalty's arrival, Miller called 911 to report that the boy had been mauled by her two Great Dane/Mastiff mixes.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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Most occur as the closing credits roll, whether pretending to be viciously mauled by a bear or, even more unnervingly, clearly superimposing his face onto the body of a performing cellist.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Unfortunately, Trump’s bullying style of diplomacy does not engender a willingness by allies and friends to step forward and provide assistance to our efforts in Iran.—
Tom Jurkowsky,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
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Boerkircher, playing at Nebraska, bullied Hunter for more than 15 yards before Hunter ripped off his helmet.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Democrats have attacked these anti-fraud policies as an effort to undermine safety net programs for the impoverished.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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The latest war erupted on March 2, when, after holding its fire since a 2024 truce, Hezbollah launched a surprise barrage of missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for the United States and Israel attacking Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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Data from the German Aerospace Center, which analyzes global development, cross-referenced with images from ICEYE and Vantor show that buildings making up the peripheries of the cities damaged by this year’s fires mostly sprang up in the 2000s and 2010s.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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