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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to manhandle
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mishandle
Airlines mishandled over 11,000 wheelchairs and scooters in 2024, a slight improvement from the previous year.
—
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Historical accounts show that Capo associate Joey Garofano disappeared after mishandling aspects of the Weiss hit.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Jon and Carie Hallford Wagoner County Sheriff Families argued this falls short of justice, saying the pair should receive at least 191 years — one for each body recovered — plus additional time for the hundreds of other remains that may have been mishandled.
—Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Following his 2023 conviction, Michel requested a retrial, alleging that one of his then-lawyers, David Kenner, mishandled his case by using AI to write closing arguments.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Historical accounts show that Capo associate Joey Garofano disappeared after mishandling aspects of the Weiss hit.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Jon and Carie Hallford Wagoner County Sheriff Families argued this falls short of justice, saying the pair should receive at least 191 years — one for each body recovered — plus additional time for the hundreds of other remains that may have been mishandled.
—Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Following his 2023 conviction, Michel requested a retrial, alleging that one of his then-lawyers, David Kenner, mishandled his case by using AI to write closing arguments.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said Kayode Agbolade Ogunba allegedly abused patients at a local care home.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The victim-survivor in this case was not the only child Weberman abused.—
Guila Benchimol,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After his holstered gun was discovered under his coat and removed while he was being manhandled, he was executed on the spot by one of the officers despite lying unarmed and defenseless on the ground.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Miami hoped to use its sheer size to manhandle Indiana and dominate both lines of scrimmage.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her ability to mismanage several things at once is truly remarkable.—
John Phillips,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
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For three decades, the state has mismanaged funds earmarked for minimizing the threat.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Many Cuban Americans were mistreated and would probably like to return.—
Moriah Thomas,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Students who are mistreated by their schools — including victims and accused students alike — have few other venues to pursue justice.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Three years ago, a pack of dingoes mauled a 23-year-old jogger in an attack police said was almost fatal.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The second fatality occurred in 2001, when 9-year-old Clinton Gage was mauled on K’gari, then called Fraser Island, by two dingoes who also attacked his younger brother.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Movies like Mean Girls, Wonder, and The Karate Kid offer powerful ways to help kids recognize bullying and build empathy.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
1 Feb. 2026
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Wilkerson treated him like a traffic cone, blowing by and bullying him for baskets.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In severe cases, the virus can attack parts of the brain that control basic life functions like eye movement, heart rate and blood pressure, causing permanent damage.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Ukraine's air force said that Russia attacked overnight with one ballistic missile and 146 strike drones, 103 of which were shot down or destroyed using electronic warfare.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Regarding the third issue, cracking indicates the spark plug is damaged beyond repair and must be replaced.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
1 Feb. 2026
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His own home was seriously damaged in the fire, forcing him to live elsewhere for the past year, and his mother-in-law’s home was destroyed.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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