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 One example would be laws prohibiting humans from mistreating AIs psychologically or physically. — Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026 By 1790, half of the world's coffee was being grown in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, in what is today Haiti, Pendergrast says, where slaves were routinely mistreated, raped and murdered. — James Doubek, NPR, 3 July 2026 The sanctuary’s founder, Monika Kerber Perez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday but has previously denied that the animals were mistreated. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2026 This time Hilton was speaking in support of two families who filed lawsuits Monday alleging that their children were mistreated at Provo Canyon School, the same facility where Hilton spent almost a year in the late 1990s. — ABC News, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mistreat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistreat

Verb

For more on how attackers can abuse connected devices, see our report on how the FBI warned that more than 1 million Android devices were hijacked by malware.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Some dogs fear brooms, vacuum cleaners or other household products, particularly if they’ve been hurt or abused in the past.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 2 July 2026