gerrymander

verb

Definition of gerrymandernext
as in to manipulate
to divide (a state, school district, etc.) into political units that give one group an unfair advantage gerrymandering urban districts to give rural voters a majority

Related Words

Relevance

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 gerrymander Today, there are fewer competitive seats, thanks to gerrymandering, meaning there are only about 40 seats in the House viewed as in-play. — Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 But his prior comments, as well his efforts to end gerrymandering across the nation since leaving office, have made clear that his views have not changed. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 Jones and Riehle also signed a joint pledge to oppose gerrymandering. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026 This kicks off another gerrymandering doom cycle for 2028, which will leave the House less representative of the people and politicians less responsive to independent-minded voters. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gerrymander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gerrymander
  1. manipulate
  2. arrange
  3. negotiate
  4. scheme
  5. engineer
Verb
  • Trapped-ion computers depend on lasers to manipulate and control ions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The company accused Fox News of airing false claims that voting machines were manipulated to help Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of manipulate
Verb
  • Twelve years later, England arranged themselves in a V-shape which outflanked the haka, their fly-half Owen Farrell appearing to wink at the All Blacks’ display — and made it through to the World Cup final with a 19-7 triumph.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Within the five-story building, art is displayed across 35 galleries arranged by such themes as family, love, fantasy, work, play, community, childhood, adventure, and sports.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • Elsewhere — yes, at goddamn Hamburger Hamlet — another couple is negotiating the terms of their relationship.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • As Wrexham’s two options to lead an attack that invariably features a lone forward playing in front of two No 10s, the duo played an important role last season in helping negotiate the considerable step-up to the Championship.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of negotiate
Verb
  • McDaniel has shown the ability to scheme around offensive line weakness.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • When the bank refuses, the sisters scheme an elaborate all-night heist to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of scheme
Verb
  • Yup, the bike will be manufactured in China even though it's designed and engineered in its home country, Spain.
    — Bultaco, New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2026
  • These layers were engineered to create electronic energy levels that strengthen interactions between light and matter.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of engineer

Browse Nearby Words

germy
gerrymander
gerrymandered
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Gerrymander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gerrymander. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of empirical

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All