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

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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 When they’re caught, the two men (Gary Maitland and Noor Dillan-Night) are put in a pillory without so much as a show trial. —

Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for show trial