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
Jews were purged from the Soviet Foreign Ministry in 1939, when the Soviet Union signed a pact with Nazi Germany, and antisemitic show trials followed not long after Germany’s defeat.
—
Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
In 1960, the supposedly secret plane was splashed across front pages across the world as one was shot down by the Soviets and its pilot, Gary Powers, was subjected to a show trial in Moscow on an espionage charge.
—David Szondy
august 10, New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2025
Records show trials had been scheduled and delayed repeatedly over the years, most recently on March 31.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 13 July 2025
Nearly 700,000 people were executed in Stalin’s 1937-38 Great Terror amid show trials and purges of his real and perceived enemies.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for show trial
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Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
In 1960, the supposedly secret plane was splashed across front pages across the world as one was shot down by the Soviets and its pilot, Gary Powers, was subjected to a show trial in Moscow on an espionage charge.
—David Szondy
august 10, New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2025
Records show trials had been scheduled and delayed repeatedly over the years, most recently on March 31.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 13 July 2025
Nearly 700,000 people were executed in Stalin’s 1937-38 Great Terror amid show trials and purges of his real and perceived enemies.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for show trial
Cite this Entry
“Show trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/show%20trial. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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