1
as in abused
to abuse physically
charges that the police manhandled peaceful protesters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bullied
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
if you see anyone manhandling a child, you should call the authorities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 manhandled
During this stretch, the Colts will face three AFC opponents, including the Steelers, who manhandled them last year and forced Jones to commit a career-high five turnovers in a loss.
—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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
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
Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash.
—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Did something get squashed en route, then manhandled by Kennedy?
—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
Boston also struggled with its perimeter shooting (eight made 3-pointers on a season-low-tying 28 attempts) but manhandled the Raptors inside, setting a new franchise record for points in the paint (76) in the play-by-play era.
—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Stella was torn between getting it right and being manhandled by Meredith.
—
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.
—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
James Boyd,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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
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
Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash.
—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Did something get squashed en route, then manhandled by Kennedy?
—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
Boston also struggled with its perimeter shooting (eight made 3-pointers on a season-low-tying 28 attempts) but manhandled the Raptors inside, setting a new franchise record for points in the paint (76) in the play-by-play era.
—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Stella was torn between getting it right and being manhandled by Meredith.
—
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.
—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandled
Verb
-
Bianca Graham, 30, of Astoria, abused her position at the Blythebourne Post Office in Borough Park to make some extra cash at the expense of 13 victims between August 2024 and August 2025, prosecutors say.
-
Seven years later, Leonard has abused an organization, alienated a fan base and basically collected nearly $300 million of Steve Ballmer’s money and burned it.
Verb
-
They got bullied in that one, showing a tremendous lack of physicality.
-
Because he was being completely bullied and demeaned and excused.
Verb
-
Police said former professional soccer player Badea and another man attacked Zeraati before fleeing in a getaway car driven by Stana and then flying out of the country from Heathrow Airport.
-
The three men who attacked our CBS News Chicago crew near Adler Planetarium before pointing a gun at people in Brighton Park on Monday afternoon have been charged.
Verb
-
Pluverge, an ice cream maker at Taste the Tropics, came to the United States on asylum after he was kidnapped and tortured by gang members in his home country.
-
This is just one in a sweaty dungeon of hundreds of TikTok videos that show women being stalked, grabbed, tortured, tossed to the ground, and handcuffed by scary masked soldiers.
Verb
-
Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in the gruesome case of a dog that mauled and disfigured his housekeeper at his home in 2020.
-
Florida officials have identified the woman who died after she was mauled by an alligator while swimming in a river with her boyfriend and best friend over the weekend, and 911 calls detail the desperate attempt to save her life.
Verb
-
In the suit, Ibrahim alleges that he was lured to the gym under the pretense of a challenge and was ambushed by Watson, a co-owner of the gym and two other men.
-
The facility hosts a memorial for past police horses and former Officer Tara O’Sullivan, who was ambushed and killed when responding to a domestic violence incident in 2019.
Verb
-
Canadian researchers found that older adults who were maltreated as children may face a significantly higher risk of cancer decades later.
-
The Adams County Health and Human Services Department’s initial assessment indicated that the infant was maltreated, though a final autopsy report is still pending, TMZ reported.
Verb
-
Garcia Martinez, who says his mother is in removal proceedings because Lozano mishandled her case, lives every day in fear that she will be deported.
-
In 1994, the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing after finding that the trial court had mishandled evaluating aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
Cite this Entry
“Manhandled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandled. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
