as in to poison
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
six months of solitary living in the jungle would animalize anyone
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Recent Examples of animalize
Sociologist Anthony Cortese found that in popular culture black women are often othered, animalized and exoticized, associating women of color with primitivity or wild sexuality.
—
Katie Edwards, Washington Post, 14 July 2017
Katie Edwards, Washington Post, 14 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animalize
Verb
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The false death of Nicholas Bell (David Morse) — which evolved from a heart attack and Bailey’s grandfather being poisoned — brought malicious forces out of the woodwork.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2026
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Chronic mold poisoning our children.—
Sumathy Kumar,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At one point in his teenage years, Diaz was publicly humiliated by the football team who forcefully shaved his curly hair.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a world that often feels fragmented and dehumanized, reclaiming this universality is an ethical act.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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The Creature thinks his suffering can only cease if it is replicated in another, and expresses this desire through possessive, dehumanizing language.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In New York, guards who brutalized prisoners or covered it up were rarely fired.—
Katie Moore,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
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Ayatollah Khamenei led a regime that brutalized its own people, launched attacks around the world for almost 40 years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Animalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animalize. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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