mishandle

verb

mis·​han·​dle (ˌ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce mishandle (audio)
mishandled; mishandling; mishandles

transitive verb

1
: to treat roughly : maltreat
2
: to deal with or manage wrongly or ignorantly

Examples of mishandle in a Sentence

The police mishandled the investigation. Apples are easily bruised when they are mishandled. The shortstop mishandled the throw. The quarterback fumbled when he mishandled the snap.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This is of course a bit bewildering to read at a time when Trump is days away from being sworn in as president again and no longer facing any of these federal criminal charges, having entirely avoided concrete consequences for his misconduct, not only on this but mishandling classified documents. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2025 Smith's report is expected to provide the most detailed explanation yet about what evidence the special counsel uncovered during its two-year investigation and why the Justice Department decided to indict Trump in two cases: for charges of election interference and mishandling classified documents. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025 Those cases leveled some of the most serious accusations a president could face: One, in Florida, accused Mr. Trump of mishandling classified documents, while the other, in Washington, centered on his effort to disrupt the peaceful transfer of presidential power. Ben Protess, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 Got caught a couple of times and mishandled some pucks, which is very rare for him. Scott Wheeler, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for mishandle 

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mishandle was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near mishandle

Cite this Entry

“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mishandle. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

mishandle

verb
mis·​han·​dle (ˈ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce mishandle (audio)
1
: to treat roughly : maltreat
2
: to manage wrongly
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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