as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
the foster parent who had been mistreating his charges was sent to jail
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mistreat
The message being sent to lower-ranking officers is that they will be assessed on the basis of their gender, race, or politics, rather than their abilities—which will cause many officers to leave rather than stay and be mistreated, and many potential officers not to enlist to begin with.
—
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
In the film, Reeves portrays Reef Hawk, a superstar actor who realizes he's been mistreating people around him for decades after an anonymous extortionist threatens to publish a video of him that would ruin his career.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Since his release, Hernandez has claimed he was severely mistreated at the maximum security detention center.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
People created memes and videos mocking Roan for mistreating children.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mistreat
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
In the film, Reeves portrays Reef Hawk, a superstar actor who realizes he's been mistreating people around him for decades after an anonymous extortionist threatens to publish a video of him that would ruin his career.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Since his release, Hernandez has claimed he was severely mistreated at the maximum security detention center.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
People created memes and videos mocking Roan for mistreating children.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mistreat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistreat
Verb
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My greatest wish is that this ruling sets a precedent for the Treasury and serves the thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence at the cost of economic and emotional ruin.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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The 68-year-old pharmacist has targeted a House ethics investigation into whether Collins abused taxpayer funds by hiring the girlfriend of his former chief of staff — now his campaign adviser — for work that the woman allegedly did not perform.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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New York bullied Philadelphia in the second round with a combination of elite shot-making and pressure defense.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Police say another mother, identified in the affidavit as Jada Hayes, remained in the parking lot after the meeting to speak with Dunmars about allegations that Dunmars’ child was bullying her own child.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
And the Irish were oppressed by imperialism, for hundreds of years, and President Kennedy was an Irish Catholic.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
-
Israel has been grievously oppressing people in its area who are not Jewish.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistreat. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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