manhandle
Americanverb (used with object)
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manhandles,
present (3rd person singular)
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manhandled,
past participle, past
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manhandling
present participle
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to handle roughly.
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to move by human strength, without the use of mechanical appliances.
verb
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to handle or push (someone) about roughly
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to move or do by manpower rather than by machinery
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
manhandlesimple
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manhandlessimple
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have manhandledperfect
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has manhandledperfect
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am manhandlingprogressive
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are manhandlingprogressive
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is manhandlingprogressive
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have been manhandlingperfect progressive
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has been manhandlingperfect progressive
Past
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manhandledsimple
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had manhandledperfect
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was manhandlingprogressive
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were manhandlingprogressive
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had been manhandlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of manhandle
Explanation
When you manhandle something, you pick it up, push it, or pull it roughly. You might gasp watching movers manhandle your fragile furniture as they load it into a moving van. You can manhandle things, and you can also manhandle people, shoving or grabbing them. If security workers at the airport manhandle a little old lady, nearby passengers will probably speak up in her defense. This current meaning arose in the late nineteenth century — earlier, manhandle meant "attack an enemy," and before that, "wield a tool."
Vocabulary lists containing manhandle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Defenders manhandle Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith on every down to stop him from reaching the ball.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
A flower seller, asked about the tourist trade, irritably mimed how some outsiders would manhandle his delicate blooms — brilliant purple irises and Van Gogh-worthy sunflowers — and then walk away without buying anything.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2024
The Huskies needed their wide receivers to manhandle Michigan’s defensive backs, and running back Dillon Johnson to deliver despite an array of injuries.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2024
As long as he's not too tight at the weight then I think he can bully and manhandle Smith, being the naturally bigger guy.
From BBC ● Jan. 18, 2023
This seemed a very long time to Julius, who used the interval to dismiss the four slaves who were now needed to manhandle the large cage containing the full-grown tiger.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
At 6 feet 9 and 330 pounds, he manhandles players from other schools.
From Washington Post ● May 10, 2016
Eifman manhandles Gershwin’s “Concerto in F” and “I Got Rhythm.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2015
Toibin never manhandles life and would in fact prefer not to leave any fingerprints on its lapels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2014
In its turn, Oxford manhandles him considerably, de-bagging* him, staging mock parades in his honor to the tune of Ovah Theah.
From Time Magazine Archive
But their hope for endless playmates goes wrong when they get manhandled by toddlers and held hostage by Lotso, leading to a climactic escape from an incinerator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
On Friday, Syed Wajid Ali Shah Gillani, president of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, alleged in a video statement that police manhandled the couple before arresting them.
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
It became a protest story when federal immigration officers took the mayor of New Jersey's largest city into custody and manhandled three members of Congress in the process.
From Salon ● May 13, 2025
Difficult to have any trust in Jets, who were absolutely manhandled by Arizona, but the Colts don’t have much to offer, either — plus, they’re on the road.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2024
Sookie manhandled his burger and ripped off about an eighth of a pound like a bear.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
“We’ll be here till tomorrow dealing with this blaze,” said Major Issa Hamdoun, a civil defense commander, as he watched his men manhandling the fire hose into the wreckage of the building.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
"I just saw something that sickened my stomach," Schumer said, "the manhandling of a United States Senator."
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2025
Virginia had the week’s biggest jump within the poll, followed by No. 4 Texas’ seven-spot climb after manhandling Gonzaga.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2022
Almighty skating and sleight-of-hand playmaking can, in an instant, give way to manhandling opposing players.
From New York Times ● May 3, 2022
Now the builder was hauling the rocks up hundreds of feet and manhandling each rock into place.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
