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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 The Justice Department regularly prosecutes those who mishandle or incorrectly take classified documents out of such secure facilities. 
Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 The odds that tonight's winner might mishandle their winnings? Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE.com, 29 July 2022 Details on the film are scant, but Gawande’s book explores the concepts of death and aging and how the medical profession tends to mishandle both. Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Apr. 2022 But there’s another way to avoid dealing with the lost baggage headache—knowing which airlines are most likely to mishandle your luggage and understanding their lost and damaged baggage policies just in case. cleveland, 10 Apr. 2022 Logline details for Mortal are being kept in the casket, but the book explores the concepts of death and aging and how the medical profession tends to mishandle both. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Apr. 2022 Meanwhile, regional airline Envoy Air was most likely to lose or mishandle a bag. Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2021 But models tend to mishandle the negative feedback of more sun-blocking clouds that has worked since creation. Andy Kessler, WSJ, 25 Apr. 2021 Some of the uptick in bear nuisance reports is caused by campers who mishandle their food. Bob Timmons, Star Tribune, 3 Aug. 2020 See More
Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 The odds that tonight's winner might mishandle their winnings? Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE.com, 29 July 2022 Details on the film are scant, but Gawande’s book explores the concepts of death and aging and how the medical profession tends to mishandle both. Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Apr. 2022 But there’s another way to avoid dealing with the lost baggage headache—knowing which airlines are most likely to mishandle your luggage and understanding their lost and damaged baggage policies just in case. cleveland, 10 Apr. 2022 Logline details for Mortal are being kept in the casket, but the book explores the concepts of death and aging and how the medical profession tends to mishandle both. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Apr. 2022 Meanwhile, regional airline Envoy Air was most likely to lose or mishandle a bag. Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2021 But models tend to mishandle the negative feedback of more sun-blocking clouds that has worked since creation. Andy Kessler, WSJ, 25 Apr. 2021 Some of the uptick in bear nuisance reports is caused by campers who mishandle their food. Bob Timmons, Star Tribune, 3 Aug. 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1
mishandle
verb
1
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- abuse
- bully
- mistreat
- injure
- misuse
- manhandle
- violate
- hurt
- torture
- maltreat
- oppress
- brutalize
- persecute
- take apart
- ill-treat
- ill-use
- mess over
- molest
- harm
- harass
- wrong
- victimize
- torment
- kick around
- outrage
- sandbag
- burn
- work (over)
- beat (up)
- rough (up)
- mess (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- nurture
- foster
- cherish
- care (for)
- spoil
- favor
- cater (to)
- indulge
- baby
- gratify
- coddle
- mollycoddle
- humor
- pamper
2
as in to manhandle
to abuse physically adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound Synonyms & Similar Words
- abuse
- manhandle
- maul
- maltreat
- attack
- injure
- misuse
- ambush
- mistreat
- hurt
- torture
- beat
- harm
- wrestle
- wound
- wrong
- slap
- lick
- pummel
- batter
- persecute
- rough (up)
- lambaste
- roughhouse
- drub
- fight
- knock
- ill-treat
- ill-use
- bash
- assail
- hit
- oppress
- pound
- clobber
- pommel
- jump
- thrash
- lambast
- buffet
- torment
- gang up (on)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fondle
- pet
- coddle
- caress
- pamper
- nurture
- foster
- mollycoddle
- care (for)
3
as in to mismanage
to manage badly we took over as soon as we realized that the fill-in had been mishandling the situation Synonyms & Similar Words
- mismanage
- misconduct
- damage
- abuse
- violate
- misgovern
- mistreat
- misrule
- misuse
- botch
- maladminister
- bungle
- harm
- maltreat
- hurt
- ill-treat
- ill-use
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- handle
- manage
- govern
- husband
- rule
- protect
- help
- care (for)
- aid
- nurture
- rescue
- landholders
- landholding
- landholdings
- landing
- landing angle
- landing beam
- landing circle
- landing craft
- landing field
- landing fields
- landing flap
- landing force
- landing gear
- landing light
- landing man
- landing mat
- landing net
- landing party
- landing ship
- landing signal officer
- landing stage
- landing strake
- landing strip
- landing strips
- landing surveyor