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

Within the European Union, for example, heavy fines under the General Data Protection Regulation have been levied against organizations for mishandling consumer data. —Erum Manzoor, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024

A little over 1% of wheelchairs and scooters were mishandled during the month of September, according to the latest Air Travel Consumer Report from the Department of Transportation. —Alexandra Skores, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024

Funeral directors can be disciplined for mishandling bodies, but in most states there are no rules requiring body brokers to treat human remains with dignity. —Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024

Mäkelä tended to mishandle the balances, resulting in cluttered textures and crude climaxes. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mishandle

verb

mis·​han·​dle (ˈ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl 

1

: to treat roughly : maltreat

2

: to manage wrongly