MISHANDLE Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

mishandle

verb

(ˌ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl

Definition of mishandle

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

as in to manhandle

to abuse physically adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 mishandle The Fed’s watchdog said renovations were mishandled, but no laws were broken. — Alec Dent, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 Flores' attorneys have criticized that decision and also accused Oates' insurer, Chubb, of mishandling the civil claim. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 Ryan Vilade and Diaz walked and as the Yankees mishandled a throw in attempting a double play on Liam Hicks’ grounder, Vilade made a heads-up dash for home. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026 In May, Xi emphasized to Trump the consequences of mishandling Taiwan. — Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mishandle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishandle

Verb

The charges come with additional special allegations, around the victim’s vulnerability and that Tapia abused a trustworthy position.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Early American corporate charters, after all, were granted for limited public purposes and could be revoked when abused.

— Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

Founders often mismanage their crucial first sales hire, mistakenly seeking candidates suited for large corporations.

— Kate Morgan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Target has been criticized for mismanaging inventory, under-investing in stores and falling behind on the trendy, eye-catching merchandise the retailer built its name on.

— Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 22 June 2026

Definition of mismanage

Verb

Of course, parents should intervene when a coach is abusive or a child is genuinely being mistreated.

— Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of mistreat

Verb

Four days after Ismail was attacked, 63-year-old swimmer Greg O’Neill was fatally mauled by a shark.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of maul

Verb

The Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year, pointing to misconduct by investigators.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
In addition, referees were instructed to apply the rules regarding fouls and misconducts more strictly – a move meant to protect players and their inventiveness.

— Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

Definition of misconduct

Verb

James McAvoy recalls his first day on the set of Band of Brothers and says a co-star bullied him.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Musk’s forthright, crusty dad Errol sounds almost proud that something was bullied out of his son, but the movie avoids filling out that traumatic childhood.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bully

Verb

Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
Electrons can then leak out of the chain, bonding with oxygen in the wrong parts of the mitochondria to form highly reactive free radicals that attack and deform neighboring molecules.

— Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of attack

Browse Nearby Words

misguiding

mishandle

mishandled

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Cite this Entry

Style

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

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Synonyms of mishandle

verb

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