molesting

Definition of molestingnext
present participle of molest

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for molesting
Verb
  • People created memes and videos mocking Roan for mistreating children.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Brazilian soccer star Jorginho Frello is accusing Chappell Roan‘s team of mistreating his 11-year-old daughter at a hotel in São Paulo.
    Kennedy French, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Meta must pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law in child exploitation case, jury rules.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
  • In its latest report, Human Rights Watch said Israel's tactics of forcible displacement and deliberate targeting of civilians in Lebanon risk violating international law and constitute war crimes.
    NPR Staff, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • As part of his guilty plea, Daley admitted to placing multiple calls to a work line used by a member of Thompson's family in the days after he was killed and leaving messages with threatening and harassing language.
    CBS News, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
  • That might mean holding religious lectures or harassing those who flout social restrictions.
    Sarah el Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Victims who depend on the people abusing them face extraordinary pressure to minimize what is happening.
    Anne P. DePrince, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
  • That means, to avoid abusing the tires, drivers will need to manage their equipment as much as possible.
    Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Lee had been caught on video back in 2017 shouting at a woman who was reportedly his girlfriend, manhandling her and calling her names, in a confrontation allegedly broken up by a teammate.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Social media served up a daily video deluge of heavily armed agents randomly manhandling dark-skinned people.
    Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Two recent cases of parents in Round Lake Beach and Fox Lake charged with several counts each of torturing and abusing their children — in one case allegedly causing a son’s death — point to the need for some sort of parental licensing.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
  • The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk.
    Derek Tran, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The charge comes as some advocates and community members have clamored for Illinois officials to pursue criminal cases against immigration agents who have been accused of brutalizing city and suburban residents during their 64-day Operation Midway Blitz in the fall.
    Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Art the Clown likes brutalizing women.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • In another, more recent case, three Wyoming men were charged with tormenting a moose by trying to ride it.
    Wendy Keefover, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Those mistakes neutralized some exciting attacking play from Austin FC, which spent the 90 minutes tormenting Minnesota United down the left flank.
    David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
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

Cite this Entry

“Molesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/molesting. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on molesting

Nglish: Translation of molesting for Spanish Speakers

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster