MISHANDLED Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

mishandled

verb

past tense of mishandle

as in abused

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

as in attacked

to abuse physically adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound

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as in mismanaged

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

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 mishandled The police mishandled much of the evidence, and Longet was eventually sentenced to 30 days in jail. —

Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 May 2026 Orders that leave our kitchen hot and carefully prepared sometimes arrive cold, spilled or mishandled. —

Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026 John Boyega, who played Finn — a Black stormtrooper — in the sequels, once complained that Disney mishandled the introduction of a Black character. —

Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026 Because he was overdrafted and the 2025 quarterback situation was mishandled, Gabriel just isn’t in a good place with the Browns. —

Zac Jackson, New York Times, 5 May 2026 This led to the number of firefighters being reduced, which diminished their preparedness and mishandled emergency responses to large-scale emergencies related to ferocious fire. —

Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026 Authorities also mishandled the weapon after it was collected as evidence, further weakening the prosecution's case. —

Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026 Richardson said Bjornstad seeks both financial compensation and a public acknowledgment that the university mishandled his situation. —

Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2026 Dylan Chambost’s long ball-ahead was mishandled by defender Olwethu Makhanya. —

ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandled

Verb

While the increasing numbers have been welcomed, authorities have expressed concern that the 60-day visa-free policy was being abused by foreign nationals seeking to work illegally or engage in crime.

— Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
The accusations against Freddy Zelaya, 46, began after a man came forward to report he had been abused by Zelaya as a child, according to a series of arrest affidavits by the Miami Beach Police Department.

— Sofia Saric May 20, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026