MISTREAT Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

mistreat

verb

ˌmis-ˈtrēt

Definition of mistreat

as in to abuse

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon the foster parent who had been mistreating his charges was sent to jail

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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 mistreat In their July 30 letter, lawmakers noted that there have been at least 15 incidents since 2023 involving staff physically mistreating children at the Morgantown facility, as documented by Pennsylvania state inspectors. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 Detectives said Beemer claimed his mother had mistreated him for years, including molesting him. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 For months, Democratic members of Congress and several advocacy organizations have called for Camp East Montana to be closed, citing reports that detainees have been routinely mistreated since its opening in August 2025. — Ryan J. Foley, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026 Bitter irony abounds, as when Nora, who is Black, attends a workplace mental health seminar in which a white, male supervisor who once mistreated her pretends to care about employees’ trauma. — Judy Berman, Time, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mistreat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistreat

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 women, being oppressed in that way in that realm, have been able nonetheless to engage with the more emotional maturity.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Claiming that other people expressing their civil rights is oppressing them, and politicizing what are supposed to be non-partisan parts of how the government works on the state and federal level.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026