1
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
a manager fired for maltreating the staff with needless insults a home for children who have been deprived and maltreated
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to abuse physically
if you maltreat the puppy, we will take it away immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of maltreat
Even the first stage of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine - on the pretext of protecting Russian speakers being maltreated - parallels Hitler’s sending shock troops into Czechoslovakia to purportedly safeguard German speakers along the Czech borderlands.
—
Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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
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
The revelations come after years of intense scrutiny of Texas’ child welfare system, which included reports by blue-ribbon panels, a state district judge in Travis County and a state comptroller citing weak protection of youngsters maltreated by birth families and then roughly handled by the state.
—Allie Morris, Dallas News, 30 June 2023
The family is where you are first misjudged, maltreated, belittled, lied to and beaten—or not.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 6 June 2023
Coincidentally, a landmark incident that led to the death of a Nigerian happened in 2009 in Guangzhou, where Nigerians were recently maltreated.
—Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Quartz Africa, 31 May 2020
Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated.
—Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017
The evidence came from Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer, who was later imprisoned and maltreated in Russia, and died in custody in 2009.
—The Economist, 20 Feb. 2018
Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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
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
The revelations come after years of intense scrutiny of Texas’ child welfare system, which included reports by blue-ribbon panels, a state district judge in Travis County and a state comptroller citing weak protection of youngsters maltreated by birth families and then roughly handled by the state.
—Allie Morris, Dallas News, 30 June 2023
The family is where you are first misjudged, maltreated, belittled, lied to and beaten—or not.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 6 June 2023
Coincidentally, a landmark incident that led to the death of a Nigerian happened in 2009 in Guangzhou, where Nigerians were recently maltreated.
—Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Quartz Africa, 31 May 2020
Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated.
—Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017
The evidence came from Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer, who was later imprisoned and maltreated in Russia, and died in custody in 2009.
—The Economist, 20 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maltreat
Verb
-
The ways in which these attackers have abused Google’s email system clearly needs to be patched.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Donald Trump is abusing the levers of government to launch an attack against New York Attorney General Tish James on what seem to be pretty flimsy claims of fraud.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Particularly his ability to do things at such high speed and to help begin attacking moves in his own half.—
Philipp Lahm,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The account commonly attacks news publications and posts comments criticizing reporting about Hegseth and the Defense Department.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Behind her glamorous exterior, the real Dorothy was a closeted lesbian who struggled with substance abuse and was mistreated by the men within Hollywood’s studio system before ultimately committing suicide.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
-
English, who denies the allegations, is at least the second state legislator to be investigated for allegedly mistreating aides in the past year.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Grant manhandled weaker offensive linemen in college, but there are concerns about his game translating to the NFL.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Brito looked completely out of his depth as he was manhandled en route to a lopsided loss.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
There have been 604 bullying and harassment cases, an average of 55 a year.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2025
-
So, thank you for bullying me into getting surgical hair replacement.—
Joey Nolfi,
EW.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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No left tackle to prevent Drake Maye from getting mauled is on the horizon.—
Bill Speros,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Then at about 9 a.m., someone called 911 to report a pack of dogs was mauling a woman in the front yard of a home.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Memorial at Florida State University after a fatal shooting killed two people and injured several others.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2025
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The spill killed 11 people and injured 17 others as 210 million gallons of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico (recently renamed by the U.S. government as Gulf of America) for a total of 87 days.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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During a snowstorm outside of Jackson, Wyo., Joel (Pedro Pascal) saves Abby (Dever) from a horde of infected, only to be ambushed.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2025
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But despite the multiple sanctions, the gangs have grown stronger, ambushing and attacking police and soldiers, firing on U.S. embassy vehicles and forcing Haitians, as recently as Thursday night, to flee their burning homes.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Maltreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreat. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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