brutalize

verb

ˈbrü-tᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce brutalize (audio)
Definition of brutalizenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brutalize The Original brutalized El Grande Americano II back inside the ring. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 While Roger Federer is depicted as James Bond, in a tux, elegant and wrinkle-free, Nadal is called Rambo, ripped and relentless, brutalizing the ball and opponents alike. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026 Taxpayers are beholden to the two-party system, a system that steals from and brutalizes working-class people to serve the billionaires. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 5 May 2026 Euthanasia decisions are already brutalizing for dog owners, and those decisions may become even more fraught. — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for brutalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutalize
  1. humiliate
  2. abuse
  3. dehumanize
  4. bully
  5. poison
  6. mistreat
  7. oppress
  8. torture
Verb
  • Filming a scene in which Isaiah humiliates Cam, Withers asked Wayans to crack jokes about Kionte’s death — the defining event of Withers’ life, and his lowest point.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The moment is a deliberate callback to the premiere, when Max seized a microphone at a fundraiser and humiliated Anna in public.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • Reports that federal immigration enforcement agencies have accessed Flock data, dozens of officers have abused the system to stalk women, and police have logged hundreds of searches related to protest activity sparked successive waves of backlash.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, the Children's Trust was used and abused by the Kittrells for exclusively their own purposes and in fact the Kittrells treat the trust assets for nearly all purposes as their own.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • Telling this story from a child’s perspective is a way of trying to revive empathy for people who are often dehumanized by the way they are portrayed.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Everyone feels like they’re dehumanized by the process in a way that leads them to suspect there’s something monstrous about the whole endeavor.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 July 2026
Definition of dehumanize
Verb
  • His distance from Henry was painfully emphasized when his son got in trouble for bullying another classmate, and the idea of Michelle (Andrea Anders) getting engaged to someone else sent him into a tailspin.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026
  • As Southampton’s Cyle Larin showed in April’s 5-1 thrashing, the defence is susceptible to being bullied physically at times.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of bully
Verb
  • In the past farmers have been suspected of deliberately poisoning elephants to prevent them from eating crops.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • Historically used in dry cleaning or to degrease metal parts, the chemicals leaked into the base’s wells, poisoning the drinking water.
    — WUFT News, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Definition of poison
Verb
  • The lawsuit isn’t the first to accuse Ye of mistreating a fellow musician.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In their July 30 letter, lawmakers noted that there have been at least 15 incidents since 2023 involving staff physically mistreating children at the Morgantown facility, as documented by Pennsylvania state inspectors.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistreat
Verb
  • Claiming that other people expressing their civil rights is oppressing them, and politicizing what are supposed to be non-partisan parts of how the government works on the state and federal level.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • Man oppressed woman legally, economically, socially, educationally, morally, professionally and religiously.
    — Brian DeLay, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Definition of oppress
Verb
  • Human rights organizations have released multiple reports alleging Palestinian prisoners are mistreated, tortured and wrongfully detained in Israeli jails.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Working off a few vague details, Bret begins to imagine a link between Robert and a serial killer known as the Trawler, who has been abducting and torturing young women around Los Angeles.
    — Leo Lasdun, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of torture

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Cite this Entry

“Brutalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutalize. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of brutalize for Spanish Speakers

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