1
as in to humiliate
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
even three years in a prison camp did not brutalize him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
Red Cross workers reported that prisoners had been brutalized
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brutalize
As her due date approached, she was brought to the infamous detention center Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada (Navy School of Mechanics), known as ESMA, where prisoners were brutalized.
—
Sam Gillette, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Heads of foreign intelligence agencies recalled visiting his office and seeing a photograph of Nazi soldiers brutalizing Dagan’s grandfather on the wall.
—Yossi Melman, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2025
The Undertaker and Big Boss Man brutalized each other in a Hell in a Cell match.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 5 Aug. 2025
The exterior had been brutalized: The stained glass was gone; the gray stone had been replaced by a flat expanse of concrete.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for brutalize
Sam Gillette, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Heads of foreign intelligence agencies recalled visiting his office and seeing a photograph of Nazi soldiers brutalizing Dagan’s grandfather on the wall.
—Yossi Melman, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2025
The Undertaker and Big Boss Man brutalized each other in a Hell in a Cell match.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 5 Aug. 2025
The exterior had been brutalized: The stained glass was gone; the gray stone had been replaced by a flat expanse of concrete.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for brutalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutalize
Verb
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The candidate looks appropriately humiliated to be shouted down by a group of peaceful citizens voicing reasonable opposition, but the stakes are low.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
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There was this huge peak between 2000 and about 2018 where there was a decentralized anti-Fascist movement that’s responsible for Richard Spencer going home, for Matthew Heimbach being humiliated.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The pair also pretended that Tammy was allegedly abusing them.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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In handing down the sentence, Montenegro said Bonillo understood the scope of his misdeeds, abused his position of trust and used that position to enrich himself while undermining CBP’s main goal.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The guy’s ghosting of me also dehumanized him.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
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It’s often used to criminalize us, dehumanize us.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An unverified report circulated over the weekend that said Brown claimed Harbour bullied her on set.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
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The complaint alleges Kalumbula didn't protect the student when other students bullied him for having gay parents.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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What about him specifically bothers you especially in terms of poisoning the youth?—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
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There’s often an arch detachment where the singer tries to pretend as though they haven’t actually been poisoned by being online themselves.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ridglan Farms, which was under investigation on allegations of mistreating its dogs, agreed to halt its breeding operation by July 1, meaning employees can no longer breed and sell beagles at the facility.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Klingerman alleged in Don't Date Brandon that Johnson was cheating and mistreated her older daughter, Lexus, from a previous relationship.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When, in reality, not that all Jews have money, but the reality is, for 3000 years, white people who were male and female, had money and didn't have money, were being brutally oppressed.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Our systems were built to oppress people of color.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After female marches, which became iconic in the Belarusian revolution 2020, of course, the regime started to arrest women too and torture them too, the same as men.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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Daniel is just one of an unknown number of migrants who are currently being tortured on a near daily basis, somewhere in Libya’s Sahara Desert.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brutalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutalize. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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