mishandle
/mɪsˈhand(ə)l
/verb [with object]
1Manage or deal with (something) wrongly or ineffectively: the officer had mishandled the situation...
- Meanwhile, legislators also criticised the Administration Wing for mishandling the situation.
- They feel the executive is mishandling a situation that has the potential to damage their electoral chances.
- During the convention, Democrats will be running a TV ad in 21 states charging the president has mishandled the economy.
Synonyms
botch, bungle, fluff, fumble, make a mess of;
mismanage, misdirect, misgovern, misconduct, mar, spoil, ruin, mangle, wreck
informal make a hash of, muff, mess up, muck up, foul up, screw up, bitch up
British informal make a muck of, make a pig's ear of, make a Horlicks of, cock up
vulgar slang balls up, fuck up
bully, persecute, treat badly, ill-treat, mistreat, maltreat, abuse, ill-use, misuse, knock about/around, hit, beat, strike, manhandle, maul, molest, injure, harm, hurt
informal beat up, rough up, do over
2Manipulate roughly or carelessly: the equipment could be dangerous if mishandled...
- And there's always the danger that electronic evidence will be overlooked or mishandled, reducing its usefulness in a court case.
- Despite their sometimes colorful labels, many garden chemicals are highly dangerous if mishandled and have no place in a garden with young children.
- The defense argued that police mishandled blood drops from the crime scene, making the results of DNA testing unreliable.
Synonyms
misuse, abuse, use inexpertly, misapply, handle/treat roughly
