mind game

noun

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of mind game

: a psychological tactic used to manipulate or intimidate —usually used in plural

played mind games with his opponent

Recent Examples of mind game from the Web

Soccer's weird tiebreaker is a mix of skill, luck, mind games, and heartbreak.

— allen st. john, Popular Mechanics, "The Physics and Mind Games of a World Cup Penalty Kick," 6 June 2018
Here are five memorable places to play mind games with your kids, no matter the occasion: Looking for something a bit more accessible?

— chris erskine, latimes.com, "Geek out with your grad at these high-minded museums and events," 30 May 2018
But Ream also has a history of mind games, toying with investigators in a game of cat and mouse.

— elisha anderson, Detroit Free Press, "Suspected serial killer wants an apology from Warren police," 21 May 2018
Although Sansa has plenty of reasons to kill him off, especially after all the mind games and manipulation he's put her through, theories suggest Arya will actually be his killer.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "14 Game of Thrones Theories That Will Blow Your Mind in Season 7," 23 Aug. 2017
So basically, McIlroy spent a few minutes Saturday night playing mind games with Reed, and Reed spent four hours Sunday putting McIlroy in detention.

— michael rosenberg, SI.com, "While the Crowds Cheered for Bigger Names, Patrick Reed Never Panicked," 8 Apr. 2018
As police searched for the missing women, Castro subjected them to mind games like marking the anniversaries of their abductions by serving them cake.

— NBC News, "Michelle Knight still recovering 5 years after being freed from Ariel Castro," 6 May 2018
Han and Lando play mind games with each other while bantering about their respective chips — Lando owns the Millennium Falcon, which Han wants.

— bryan alexander, USA TODAY, "'Solo: A Star Wars Story': New footage reveals how it went down when Han met Lando," 24 Apr. 2018
The three-day event brings the spectacle of the big-top to life through uncovering the mysteries of magic, mind games and more.

— nikki delamotte, cleveland.com, "'Curiosity Carnival' brings the big top to Great Lakes Science Center," 16 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mind game.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of mind game

1963

in the meaning defined above

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