mind game

Definition of mind game

: a psychological tactic used to manipulate or intimidate —usually used in pluralplayed mind games with his opponent

Examples of mind game in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Swimming, perhaps the most commonplace and relaxing way of putting yourself in total peril, is a real mind game. — Mary Pols, New York Times, "Eat. Sleep. Swim. Repeat.," 14 Apr. 2020 The company says that using mind games before workouts — and meditation afterward — can make athletes more effective, without altering their training. — Washington Post, "CES Gadget Show: Pizza from robots, underwater scooters," 10 Jan. 2020 What rankled Jimmy was the notion that someone else was playing mind games for a change, and with him, the master psychologist. — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, "It’s long past time for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson to realize what they meant to each other," 31 Jan. 2020 Mourinho’s mind games are usually effective because they are calculated, and often turn the focus on him, relieving the team of pressure. — Frank Dell’apa, BostonGlobe.com, "The strain of managing Tottenham Hotspur is starting to show on Jose Mourinho," 8 Jan. 2020 There are a lot of mind games that savvy businesses play with consumers. — Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, "Making financial resolutions for the New Year? Here are six books you need to read in 2020.," 11 Dec. 2019 Known for his mind games, Ferguson was referring to how the pressure was cranking up, causing everyone to struggle to sit still. — SI.com, "10 Iconic Football Catchphrases That Could Be Trademarked," 31 July 2019 Oh, the mind games coaches play; Northwestern hasn’t won a conference game since last year. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Pioneer Press Big Ten football picks: Week 13," 22 Nov. 2019 All Blacks boss Steve Hansen was more reserved when asked about the mind games coaches play with each other ahead of crunch games. — George Ramsay, CNN, "Eddie Jones claims England was spied on ahead of Rugby World Cup clash against New Zealand," 22 Oct. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

13 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Mind game.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mind%20game. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

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