MALTREATING Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

maltreating

verb

present participle of maltreat

as in abusing

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon a manager fired for maltreating the staff with needless insults a home for children who have been deprived and maltreated

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as in attacking

to abuse physically if you maltreat the puppy, we will take it away immediately

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maltreating

Verb

In an earlier episode, Pam confronts Grace’s mother about abusing her daughter and ends up bashing in the woman’s head with a meat tenderizer — which sounds like a pivotal moment but plays more like a side quest.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
The former owner of several unlicensed North Texas boarding homes pleaded guilty Monday to financially abusing and fatally neglecting elderly and disabled people in her care, according to court filings.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of abusing

Verb

Researchers constructed a hollow fiber membrane lined on the outside with palladium nanoparticles rather than attacking PFAS in open water.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are seeking the public’s help finding a woman accused of attacking a North Lauderdale store clerk with pepper spray earlier this month.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacking

Verb

Guevara has never been charged with a crime in connection with allegedly torturing supsects, and the statute of limitations has long since expired on any such charges, Felker said.

— Chris Tye, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026
In 1996, Pike was found guilty of first-degree murder for beating, torturing and killing Slemmer, a fellow Jobs Corps worker, in a remote area of the University of Tennessee Agricultural campus.

— Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of torturing

Verb

Two men are facing kidnapping and robbery charges after allegedly ambushing a buyer during a Facebook Marketplace transaction in Doral.

— Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Videos from that day showed militants gunning down fleeing revelers, shooting the wounded at point-blank range and ambushing those seeking refuge in bomb shelters.

— Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambushing

Verb

Hours later, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, announced the suspension of Acosta’s press pass, and, for good measure, falsely accused him of manhandling the aide who wanted the mike back.

— Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026
Ashley Delaney of Polk City, who has served on the district's board since 2024, was charged in May with misdemeanor assault for allegedly manhandling the student.

— William Morris, Des Moines Register, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of manhandling

Verb

Neighbors said the man began kicking and mistreating the dog before eventually luring the husky away from the yard with food.

— Hunter Sowards, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Ever since these rideshare companies began in the early 2010s, they have been scrutinized for underpaying and mistreating drivers.

— Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of mistreating

Verb

At the time, Guilfoyle was an assistant DA in San Francisco prosecuting a high-profile dog-mauling case and making the rounds on cable news.

— Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
While the left guard competition remains open, Jones has been on the first string for over a week since replacing Connor Colby, and Jones stood out with an aggressive, mauling nature against the Titans.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of mauling

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.

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maltreated

maltreating

maltreatment

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“Maltreating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreating. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of maltreating

verb

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