MANHANDLE Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

manhandle

verb

ˈman-ˌhan-dᵊl

Definition of manhandle

as in to abuse

to abuse physically charges that the police manhandled peaceful protesters

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to bully

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon if you see anyone manhandling a child, you should call the authorities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of manhandle Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026 The $100 million price tag attached to the legal action is to make sure the city takes Brown’s allegations seriously — and ensure no one else is manhandled by the police without cause, Brown’s attorney Derek Sells of the Cochran Firm said. — Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026 Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash. — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026 Orlando manhandled Charlotte so thoroughly and so early Friday night that the game was over by halftime, when the Magic had amassed an astonishing 31-point lead. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for manhandle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for manhandle

Verb

The City Council instructed the city attorney to regulate phenibut, a drug that’s available at gas stations and being abused as a nervous system depressant.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Communities from Lansing, Michigan, to Pflugerville, Texas, are ending their relationship with Flock, largely over concerns regarding out-of-control surveillance, unwanted data sharing, high expenses, and reports of police abusing the tool.

— Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

Trump has been bullying Canada since the start of his second term.

— Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
All of us artists could stand to be more like Mark, willing to speak out for oppressed people everywhere, even when powerful people try to bully us into silence.

— Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of bully

Verb

And statistically, your chances of getting jumped and mauled by a bear are so low compared to any other real danger in the backcountry.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
Also in July, in Kenai, a local resident was mauled by a brown bear that had climbed over the fence into her front yard, with its two cubs, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

— Stephen Smith, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of maul

Verb

Creative labor certainly seems to be disappearing as studios experiment with generative AI, and artists and craftspeople are rightly afraid of being further mistreated, devalued, or replaced.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
Riddle says misdiagnosing and mistreating postpartum psychosis can have adverse effects on patients.

— Louisa Moller, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of mistreat

Verb

How many people will stay home rather than risk being racially profiled and brutalized?

— Kica Matos, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
In 2022, two corrections officers at the Laurens County Detention Center in South Carolina were arrested and charged with brutalizing an inmate and using a GLOVE device to repeatedly stun them, CNN noted.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of brutalize

Verb

In Iran, Afghans have been attacked by mobs and baselessly accused of collaborating with Israel; some legal residents have had police tear up their documents in front of them.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 31 Aug. 2026
On Saturday, an Ebola response team was attacked on the outskirts of the town of Mambasa in Ituri province while responding to a call to secure a body.

— Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of attack

Browse Nearby Words

mangy

manhandle

manhandled

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“Manhandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manhandle. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of manhandle

verb

Example Sentences

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