maltreats

verb

present tense third-person singular of maltreat
1
as in abuses
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maltreats
  1. abuses
  2. attacks
  3. bullies
  4. tortures
  5. mistreats
  6. mauls
  7. ambushes
Verb
  • Anyone who repeatedly abuses AI tools may soon find Claude giving them the silent treatment.
    — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Detectives will continue investigating these cases aggressively, and anyone who abuses their position with a child will be held accountable.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of abuses
Verb
  • Republican rival Rick Jackson has spent heavily portraying Bottoms’ Atlanta mayoralty as a failure, focusing on crime and 2020 protests — attacks some supporters say carry racial and gender overtones.
    — Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • Backstage, Kenny Omega calls the Don Callis Family bullies and tells them to pick any three members to face him and The Young Bucks, who are standing beside Omega, next week.
    — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Williams called Valkyries fans bullies in an Instagram Live stream earlier this week, and by Friday night, Chase Center had the receipts.
    — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
Definition of bullies
Verb
  • At first, all signs point to Bobby, including a mercenary who survived the attack on Halstead Manor that Eddie tortures to extract information.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • On his latest Hyperdub release, the Japanese producer born Takahide Higuchi sings more than on previous records but tortures his voice through a gauntlet of pitch-shifter effects.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026
Definition of tortures
Verb
  • Platner is also an unfaithful spouse who mistreats women.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2026
  • Victor’s own father is obsessed with legacy and perfection and mistreats his boy, and that cycle continues with Victor and the Creature.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of mistreats
Verb
  • Bain would immediately give the Dolphins an elite, powerful edge defender who mauls blockers in front of him and fits the 4-3 base defense coach Jeff Hafley wants to play as a traditional defensive end.
    — Kenny Rosarion, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Martin mauls Arlington in 8-6A Arlington Martin got 20 points from Steven Reynolds III and 18 more from Levi Moore as the Warriors blasted Arlington 92-46 in a District 8-6A game on Thursday.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of mauls
Verb
  • All seems lost when a group of Stormtroopers ambushes the crew, but IG-11 heroically sacrifices himself to save them.
    — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
  • Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 29 Nov. 2025
Definition of ambushes
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.

Browse Nearby Words

maltreatments
maltreats
mama
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Cite this Entry

“Maltreats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreats. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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