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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brutalize
The Great Migration gave Black Americans a chance to start over without being brutalized for the pursuit of knowledge, liberation and self-expression, and the amount of talent and history in the room is staggering.
—
Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
American citizens have been brutalized, pepper-sprayed, and killed on the streets of Minneapolis.
—Aziz Huq, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
But the women who were brutalized, and the community, deserve better.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
There isn’t much consistency to the rule, nor much logic to the fact that bystanders seem to turn a blind eye as the boys are continually brutalized.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brutalize
Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
American citizens have been brutalized, pepper-sprayed, and killed on the streets of Minneapolis.
—Aziz Huq, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
But the women who were brutalized, and the community, deserve better.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
There isn’t much consistency to the rule, nor much logic to the fact that bystanders seem to turn a blind eye as the boys are continually brutalized.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brutalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutalize
Verb
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The gesture provoked a seismic reaction internationally while infuriating Olympic officials who claimed Smith and Carlos used the world stage to humiliate their home country.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Still, Friday ranked as one of the most unexpected breakdowns in international sports since Germany humiliated host Brazil, 7-1, at the 2014 soccer World Cup.—
Bora Erden,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Construction is set to begin on a new center in Morgan Hill for abused and neglected children and their families next month.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Once installed, NexShield immediately starts abusing Chrome or Edge in the background.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bad Bunny, Kehlani, Olivia Dean, Shaboozey, SZA, and Billie Eilish all used their platforms at the Grammys to talk about how ICE is dehumanizing immigrants and terrorizing American communities.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
9 Feb. 2026
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The racist imagery is strategically embedded within a larger narrative promoting false election fraud conspiracy theories, designed to dehumanize Black and brown voters as threats to democracy and to justify restricting their participation in elections.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rootselaar transitioned from male to female about six years ago and subsequently dropped out of school two years later, but McDonald said there is no evidence that Rootselaar dropped out due to bullying because of the transition.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Feb. 2026
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For more than a year, high-ranking staffers have resigned, often in public fashion, and accused him of bullying them and abusing his office’s authority.—
Ryan Oehrli
February 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison after being poisoned by a frog toxin, five European countries said Saturday.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a remote Siberian prison two years ago, was almost certainly poisoned with a deadly toxin found in South American dart frogs, five European governments said Saturday.—
Nandika Chatterjee,
Time,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Several cases involve force and abuse The AP’s review found a pattern of charges involving ICE employees and contractors who mistreated vulnerable people in their care.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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The Rafah border crossing, meant to support the ceasefire, has seen minimal passage and reports of Palestinians being interrogated and mistreated.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With many people around the world fighting for their freedom, Dallas’ historical cemetery stands as an example of how a group of people who were historically oppressed and enslaved could become free and prosperous.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
31 Jan. 2026
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The resultant impunity means people turn to alternative structures for protection, from vigilantes to the very criminals that oppress them.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to court records, Quero Silva is defending himself against the new federal lawsuit accusing him of torturing the protestors in Barquisimeto.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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Her husband says she has been tortured after her arrest.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brutalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutalize. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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