mishandle

verb

mis·​han·​dle (ˌ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl 

mishandled; mishandling; mishandles

transitive verb

1

: to treat roughly : maltreat

2

: to deal with or manage wrongly or ignorantly

Synonyms

• abuse
• brutalize
• bully
• ill-treat
• ill-use
• kick around
• maltreat
• manhandle
• mess over [slang]
• mistreat
• misuse

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

To build and maintain trust, brands must avoid three common pitfalls: irrelevant messaging, over-saturating the inbox and mishandling data. —Katie Jewett, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

South Korea has admitted its agencies mishandled adoptions after an investigation sparked by hundreds of complaints from adoptees. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025

Baltimore Sun Up three with seconds to play and Alabama owning possession again — the same situation the Terps mishandled minutes earlier — Maryland didn’t foul and closed out the victory. —Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025

Democrats mishandled the border under Biden and abandoned the tough-on-immigration policies the party had under Presidents Clinton and Obama, playing right into Trump's signature issue. —Alex Thompson, Axios, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mishandle

• candle
• handle
• sandal
• scandal
• vandal
• panhandle

Kids Definition

mishandle

verb

mis·​han·​dle (ˈ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl 

1

: to treat roughly : maltreat

2

: to manage wrongly