BRUTALIZING Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

brutalizing

verb

present participle of brutalize

as in dehumanizing

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

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as in abusing

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon Red Cross workers reported that prisoners had been brutalized

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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 brutalizing In 2022, two corrections officers at the Laurens County Detention Center in South Carolina were arrested and charged with brutalizing an inmate and using a GLOVE device to repeatedly stun them, CNN noted. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026 Each competitor was giving it their all with brutalizing chops, tough suplexes and going above and beyond to try to win that championship. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026 The same curriculum includes Prophet Muhammed’s history of brutalizing Christians and Jewish people — a framing that Muslim families and interfaith advocates found issue with in public comment. — Rachel Royster. Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 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 Euthanasia decisions are already brutalizing for dog owners, and those decisions may become even more fraught. — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026 The charge comes as some advocates and community members have clamored for Illinois officials to pursue criminal cases against immigration agents who have been accused of brutalizing city and suburban residents during their 64-day Operation Midway Blitz in the fall. — Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026 Art the Clown likes brutalizing women. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025 He was fired a few years later over allegations of brutalizing a suspect in custody. — Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutalizing

Verb

Hisbah members also face widespread allegations of rights abuses in their enforcement operations, including subjecting offenders to dehumanizing punishments such as public beatings or shaming.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan five years ago ushered in an era of dehumanizing restrictions for women and girls.

— Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of dehumanizing

Verb

In an earlier episode, Pam confronts Grace’s mother about abusing her daughter and ends up bashing in the woman’s head with a meat tenderizer — which sounds like a pivotal moment but plays more like a side quest.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
The former owner of several unlicensed North Texas boarding homes pleaded guilty Monday to financially abusing and fatally neglecting elderly and disabled people in her care, according to court filings.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of abusing

Verb

The Iranians are now setting the terms of this conflict and are routinely humiliating the American president.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026

Definition of humiliating

Verb

Guevara has never been charged with a crime in connection with allegedly torturing supsects, and the statute of limitations has long since expired on any such charges, Felker said.

— Chris Tye, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026
In 1996, Pike was found guilty of first-degree murder for beating, torturing and killing Slemmer, a fellow Jobs Corps worker, in a remote area of the University of Tennessee Agricultural campus.

— Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of torturing

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“Brutalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutalizing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of brutalizing

verb

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