show trial

noun

: a trial (as of political opponents) in which the verdict is rigged and a public confession is often extracted

Examples of show trial in a Sentence

They were forced to confess their guilt in public show trials.

Recent Examples on the Web

Joseph Stalin began the Great Purge of his rivals, prominent Old Bolsheviks, as the first show trial opened. — USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

Soon after arriving in Mexico, Trotsky called for an international tribunal to review the charges against him from the Moscow show trials (1936–1938) and to present his defense. — Literary Hub, 28 July 2026

Last week’s City Council 9-hour hearing on a Central Park horse carriage ban was either a sideshow or a show trial. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026

But that also eradicates a crucial option - to mount a show trial and scapegoat him for all the ills of his rule, thus absolving others. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for show trial

• dial
• rial
• thiol
• vial
• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• sensorial