mishandle

verb

mis·​han·​dle (ˌ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce mishandle (audio)
mishandled; mishandling; mishandles

transitive verb

1
: to treat roughly : maltreat
2
: to deal with or manage wrongly or ignorantly

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 In early April, former Pembroke Park Police Chief Ra Shana Dabney-Donovan was accused of officer misconduct and mishandling grants. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 19 May 2024 In February, a woman was sentenced to three years in prison for threatening Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the federal criminal case against Mr. Trump involving mishandling classified documents. Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 19 May 2024 Athletics third baseman Brett Harris mishandled the hard liner and Perez, running hard, was able reach on an infield hit. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2024 According to Elisabeth Bik, a scientific watchdog who has discovered thousands of errors in scientific papers, the problem of fraud, errors, or data mishandling in the scientific literature seems to be getting worse. Angus Chen, STAT, 17 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for mishandle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mishandle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mishandle was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near mishandle

Cite this Entry

“Mishandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mishandle. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

mishandle

verb
mis·​han·​dle (ˈ)mis-ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce mishandle (audio)
1
: to treat roughly : maltreat
2
: to manage wrongly
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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