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
Relevance
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 ill-treat
There is a troubling suggestion of abuse, implying that Jack might have been ill-treated by his mom (and saved by Helen), rather than heartlessly abandoned.
—
Tomris Laffly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
Tomris Laffly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-treat
Verb
-
More importantly, Penske also describes this dynamic as antitrust behavior from a company abusing what the federal government has already described as Google’s monopoly status in the realm of Internet search.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The biggest Flock controversy centers on allegations that law enforcement has abused the company’s surveillance network to target women, immigrants, and people engaging in legal activity outside their home states.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Trump has alienated Brazil by defending its former president, charged with trying to overturn a legitimate election, and South Africa, accusing it of mistreating its White citizens.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, scenes of life at the nunnery are interspersed with childhood memories, usually involving her mother assisting people in need or her classmates mistreating vulnerable children.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Social media can’t replace offline resources for children who are being maltreated.—
Laura Schwab Reese,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
-
One to One concert the duo organized as a response to Geraldo Rivera’s truly shocking exposé of the Willowbrook institution, where children with disabilities were horrifically maltreated and abused.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Motivated largely by his desire to please his dead father, who bullied him into believing that toughness is the essence of manhood, Cade insists on pushing past his injury and pursuing his dream.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Jeremiah has been so completely denigrated that the actor who plays him, Gavin Casalegno, has faced death threats, and the show’s official social media has posted public statements asking for fans to stop bullying him.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Seven Bay Staters were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly conspiring to kidnap and torture a man earlier this year.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Customers rarely remember the exact response time, unless they were tortured with on-repeat elevator music.—
Tayfun Bilsel,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ill-treat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treat. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share