as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
anyone who ill-treats their pets should not be allowed to have any
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-treat
Verb
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Other interview subjects said Prince was abused himself as a child and could be controlling or emotionally manipulative.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 Mar. 2025 -
Her defense attorney, Jose Baez, dropped the bombshell accusation that Casey had been abused by her father, implying that this explained her string of lies and her willingness to protect him.—
Aja Romano,
Vox,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Surasak said they weren’t mistreated, and were fed pita bread and cheese, with a portion of meat once a week.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN,
21 Feb. 2025
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During the first Trump administration in 2018, immigration and federal prison officials struck an agreement for 1,600 beds, according to the AP — an arrangement that led to allegations some detainees were mistreated.—
Brittany Gibson,
Axios,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Lie number 2: Israel has been oppressing and maltreating Palestinians (and denying them a state) for 75 years.—
Efrem Sigel,
New York Daily News,
25 Jan. 2024
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In 2022, the World Health Organization estimated that 1 billion children were maltreated each year around the globe.—
Marc D. Hauser,
TIME,
3 Apr. 2024
Verb
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Hal was always bullied by his slightly older twin brother, Bill.—
Brian Davids,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Feb. 2025
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For nothing is more European, at least in today’s Europe, than being bullied by Russia while complaining about the United States.—
Dominic Green,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Caro Quintero and others then allegedly sought revenge, kidnapping Salazar and torturing him, before killing him.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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Rami’s unhappy family splinters over love and politics; an opponent of both the monarchy and Saddam Hussein in the 1950s and 1960s, Rami is imprisoned and tortured, eventually escaping to gain asylum in France.—
Lisa Anderson,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ill-treat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treat. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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