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

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.

Which is also why Bragg's show trial backfired, making Trump a martyr and helping propel him back into the White House (most people don't like politicized justice, and will side with the victims of it, however otherwise unsavory). —

Bradley Gitz, arkansasonline.com, 23 Dec. 2024 Dictator Stalin’s show trials and purges murdered tens of millions as documented by Robert Conquest. —

Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 29 Nov. 2024 This charade reminds one of the show trials under former Soviet leader Josef Stalin. —

Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2024 To evade Western sanctions, the Chinese Communist Party uses less bloody and more hidden methods of coercion against these bishops than the show trials and physical ... —

Nina Shea, National Review, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for show trial