maltreated 1 of 2

adjective

as in abused

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maltreated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of maltreat
1
as in bullied
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon a manager fired for maltreating the staff with needless insults a home for children who have been deprived and maltreated

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacked
to abuse physically if you maltreat the puppy, we will take it away immediately

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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 maltreated
Verb
Canadian researchers found that older adults who were maltreated as children may face a significantly higher risk of cancer decades later. — Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Apr. 2026 The Adams County Health and Human Services Department’s initial assessment indicated that the infant was maltreated, though a final autopsy report is still pending, TMZ reported. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026 Social media can’t replace offline resources for children who are being maltreated. — Laura Schwab Reese, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maltreated
  1. abused
  2. bullied
  3. attacked
  4. tortured
  5. mauled
  6. mistreated
  7. manhandled
  8. ambushed
Adjective
  • But Miss Manners would hate to think that your abused generosity will dissuade you from continuing with more reasonable recipients.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • At the end of the poem, Odysseus transforms from an abused guest to a murderous host, neither of which is ideal.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 July 2026
Definition of abused
Verb
  • The opening episode depicts her deep bond with young Jason (Callum Vinson), an outsider who has significant health issues and is bullied by other kids.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • James McAvoy recalls his first day on the set of Band of Brothers and says a co-star bullied him.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of bullied
Verb
  • The men were returning to camp when their white armored Toyota Land Cruiser was attacked by members of the two Haitian gangs.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • After Israel accepted its meager portion, Arabs attacked and retained a significant part of the land that was to be divided between Jews and Arabs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacked
Verb
  • His underlings kidnapped and tortured a dealer who refused to pay, the indictment said.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The organization advocating on his behalf said Gilman had been tortured in Russian detention.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • Four days after Ismail was attacked, 63-year-old swimmer Greg O’Neill was fatally mauled by a large white shark.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • When his grandfather was mauled by a leopard caught in a trap set for an impala, however, Mgesi began to feel that the dangers of hunting wildlife outweighed its benefits for humans.
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of mauled
Verb
  • Dustin Degenhardt, a voter in the town of Wainwright, said that Albertans have long been mistreated by Canada’s federal government.
    — Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Dustin Degenhardt, a voter in the town of Wainwright, said that Albertans have long been mistreated by Canada's federal government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistreated
Verb
  • He got stuffed by double-team blocks and turned away by larger Toronto wings, who manhandled the slighter forward in his attempts to create downhill momentum.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Dallas Cowboys were manhandled by the Green Bay Packers 23-13 on Sunday night to drop to 2-4 this season.
    — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of manhandled
Verb
  • Three planeloads of soldiers from El Salvador landed in Haiti on Friday, days after the Central American nation’s president angrily threatened Haitian gangs that ambushed a group of Salvadoran soldiers over the past weekend who remain missing.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Task Force were returning to their camp Sunday in a white all-terrain Toyota when they were ambushed by heavily armed criminals, according to the Salvadoran military.
    — Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambushed

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Cite this Entry

“Maltreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreated. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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