brutalize
verb
bru·tal·ize
ˈbrü-tᵊl-ˌīz 
brutalized; brutalizing
1
: to make brutal, unfeeling, or inhuman
temperaments brutalized by poverty and disease
2
: to treat brutally
an accord not to brutalize prisoners of war
Examples of brutalize in a Sentence
a young man brutalized by the experience of war
The prisoners claimed to have been brutalized by their captors.
Recent Examples on the Web
Russia is brutalizing Ukraine and threatening eastern Europe, as Iran and its proxies sow violent disorder across the Middle East.
—
Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2024
His mother, Till-Mobley, insisted on an open casket at the funeral to show the world how her son had been brutalized.
—Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2024
He can be repeatedly brutalized, satisfying the bloodlust of a teen audience, because everything can be laughed off.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 July 2024
Owens, who has a history of robbing his ex-girlfriends and a tattooed Superman logo on his chest, faces assault, strangulation, unlawful imprisonment and other charges for allegedly kidnapping his girlfriend and repeatedly brutalizing her, cops said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brutalize 
Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2024
His mother, Till-Mobley, insisted on an open casket at the funeral to show the world how her son had been brutalized.
—Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2024
He can be repeatedly brutalized, satisfying the bloodlust of a teen audience, because everything can be laughed off.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 July 2024
Owens, who has a history of robbing his ex-girlfriends and a tattooed Superman logo on his chest, faces assault, strangulation, unlawful imprisonment and other charges for allegedly kidnapping his girlfriend and repeatedly brutalizing her, cops said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brutalize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brutalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Brutalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brutalize. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
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