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
Pratt’s Office of Student Protections alleged Thuet mishandled that case.
—
Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
With no special-case engineering and new data, Helix can recover gracefully from mishandling or collisions.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
The case alleges Wilder mishandled Portalatin’s custody case in a Tarrant County family court.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
On Seattle’s final offensive play, Milroe mishandled a snap, essentially ending the game.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
With no special-case engineering and new data, Helix can recover gracefully from mishandling or collisions.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
The case alleges Wilder mishandled Portalatin’s custody case in a Tarrant County family court.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
On Seattle’s final offensive play, Milroe mishandled a snap, essentially ending the game.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
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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
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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
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The Pats got manhandled by Mother Nature and the Dolphins over a 20-7 loss played out under 90-degree temperatures.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Tigers then manhandled Ball State.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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In 2024, the competition was delayed a week after one of the contestants was fatally mauled by a rival bear with the attack witness on the live webcams.—
Saman Shafiq,
Freep.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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In Toledo, a misread contributed to a Black man being mauled by a police K-9 dog after a traffic stop.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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In a new warning, a senior Iranian army official said Tehran was ready to broaden its military reach beyond conventional strikes if attacked.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Taylor fills the bootstraps of Perfidia Beverly Hills, a formidable leader armed with a rifle fighting for the cause, her main prerogative is to overtake the institutions that imprison and attack vulnerable groups.—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Using abrasive cleaner or products with harsh chemicals can damage the beautiful material and lead to a less-than-pretty tub.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
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But posting on social media leaves a record, and in times of escalating political polarization, those declarations can be seen as damaging to the reputation of an individual or their employer.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These jokes revolved around the idea of misusing objects, like putting food on their heads, and pretend play like washing hands without soap or water.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is in prison after being convicted of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering for misusing billions of dollars in customer funds.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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