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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to manhandle
to abuse physically
adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 mishandle
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello play security guards who accidentally mishandle a delivery from the Museum of Horrors, reincarnating Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster in the process.
—
EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Cannon was randomly assigned to oversee both Routh’s case and Trump’s indictment accusing him of mishandling classified documents after leaving office and obstructing the government’s efforts to retrieve them.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2024
During the five-year period of the government’s investigation, the Transportation Department said the airline mishandled thousands of wheelchairs by damaging them or delaying their return to passengers who relied on them.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Handling of sensitive documents Smith is also overseeing a prosecution in a Florida federal court in which Trump is accused of mishandling sensitive government records after leaving the White House in January 2021.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mishandle 
EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Cannon was randomly assigned to oversee both Routh’s case and Trump’s indictment accusing him of mishandling classified documents after leaving office and obstructing the government’s efforts to retrieve them.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2024
During the five-year period of the government’s investigation, the Transportation Department said the airline mishandled thousands of wheelchairs by damaging them or delaying their return to passengers who relied on them.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Handling of sensitive documents Smith is also overseeing a prosecution in a Florida federal court in which Trump is accused of mishandling sensitive government records after leaving the White House in January 2021.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mishandle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle
Verb
-
That brings enormous power, and the ability to abuse that power.Daniel Eagan, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
-
That post in question found Harper outright denying Richards’ lawsuit claims that Diddy subjected them to abuse.Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
But Ait-Nouri was physically manhandled by Saka in a duel early on, a clear sign of how dominant the winger is becoming.Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Aug. 2024
-
Iris ends up getting manhandled a little, but at least no one is killed.Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 July 2024
Verb
-
Former President Donald Trump’s media company has forced out executives in recent days after internal allegations that its CEO, former Rep. Devin Nunes, is mismanaging the company, according to interviews and records of communications among former employees.Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 3 Oct. 2024
-
Virginia's Office of Emergency Medical Services and Richmond's finance department seem to be battling it out for who's better at mismanaging people's money.Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 20 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
The film follows an elderly man who goes undercover in a nursing home to investigate claims that a resident was being mistreated.Peter White, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
-
Some of the elders still remember the days when most Shia were mired in rural poverty, mistreated not just by Lebanon’s other sects but by their own semifeudal overlords.Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
In August, authorities said a hunter was seriously injured in Alaska after being mauled by a brown bear and shot during an effort to fend it off.Stephen Smith, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024
-
This culminates in the big season-premiere fight scene, where Chase, once again, mauls a guy half his age with his bare hands.Sarene Leeds, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
There is a fine line between bullying and encouraging others to do what’s right.Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024
-
In an application for a restraining order, which was granted by a judge, a woman alleged that Ali harassed, bullied and threatened her.Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Just two years prior, the NFL team had shelled out more than $1.4 million trying to get Becker elected mayor, and another roughly $1 million attacking Mayor Lisa Gillmor.Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
-
An investigation from DePaul University and the Chicago Police Department is underway after two Jewish students who were visibly showing their support for Israel were attacked on the university’s Lincoln Park campus.NBC Chicago, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Over 3,400 schools and hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, while 10 million people have fled their homes.Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
-
The cars were significantly damaged in an apparent head-on collision.Ashley Hume, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near mishandle
Cite this Entry
“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishandle. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share