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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Since then, his administration has badly mishandled diplomatic efforts to bring about a cease-fire.
—
Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2025
Long will take over an IRS undergoing widespread change, including layoffs and voluntary retirements of tens of thousands of workers and accusations that then-Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency mishandled sensitive taxpayer data.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
According to a 2024 study by SITA, an IT company that provides bag-tracking systems to airlines, 36.1 million suitcases worldwide were mishandled in 2023, meaning 36.1 million bags were lost, delayed, damaged, or stolen.
—Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
These reporters lamented giving something approaching equal time to Hillary Clinton’s emails, a regret that only deepened once Trump was charged with mishandling classified documents himself.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2025
Long will take over an IRS undergoing widespread change, including layoffs and voluntary retirements of tens of thousands of workers and accusations that then-Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency mishandled sensitive taxpayer data.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
According to a 2024 study by SITA, an IT company that provides bag-tracking systems to airlines, 36.1 million suitcases worldwide were mishandled in 2023, meaning 36.1 million bags were lost, delayed, damaged, or stolen.
—Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
These reporters lamented giving something approaching equal time to Hillary Clinton’s emails, a regret that only deepened once Trump was charged with mishandling classified documents himself.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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According to prosecutors, Maxwell helped Jeffrey Epstein recruit, groom, and abuse minor girls from about 1994 to about 2004, including girls as young as 14 years old.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
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At the time of her death, Sardinha was studying to become a counselor with the hope of working with women who had been abused, her mother told Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael J. Leversen.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
Verb
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He can be physically manhandled when attempting to seal powerful defensive ends and needs to be more assertive with his hands to keep his target engaged as a run blocker.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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So maybe the real culprit is the attempt to manhandle her sensibility into a studio-horror sequel.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 July 2025
Verb
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This is why the Department of Justice is pushing forward with the investigation into the renovations of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters and whether it has been mismanaged.—
Paul Weinstein Jr,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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Top administration officials have said the Fed’s renovation project is mismanaged, citing cost overruns.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Women are often mistreated with aggressive surgical techniques that can be avoided.—
Nkem Osian,
Baltimore Sun,
23 July 2025
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In court, McGuire's parents, Debbie and Glenn McGuire, alleged that Young mistreated their daughter, per ABC.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
18 July 2025
Verb
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The mother of a young girl who was mauled last fall in Independence has sued the dog’s owner and the owner of the home where the dog was staying, according to court documents.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
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Along with those videos of Clark getting mauled on the court, there are popular online clips decoding her trash talk.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2025
Verb
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Researchers have seen that wild horses and burros will hog water tanks, streams, and other water sources — often to the detriment of native critters like deer and antelope, which are easily bullied by a big stallion.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
31 July 2025
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After all, living with a drunk step-mom, being bullied at school, and failing all her classes isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
28 July 2025
Verb
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After the match, Uso helped attack Sikoa’s MFTs and Fatu hit a picturesque moonsault off the top of the cage onto Loa and Mateo, getting some momentum back after a controversial defeat.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Police responded to a call that an individual was being attacked by dogs at the Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino at around 5:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 31, KTLA and the Los Angeles Times reported.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
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Anything that damages the trust between the vendor, Microsoft, and the user is as much a threat as the hackers themselves, in my never humble opinion.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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