as in to poison
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
six months of solitary living in the jungle would animalize anyone
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Recent Examples of animalize
Sociologist Anthony Cortese found that in popular culture black women are often othered, animalized and exoticized, associating women of color with primitivity or wild sexuality.
—
Katie Edwards, Washington Post, 14 July 2017
Katie Edwards, Washington Post, 14 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animalize
Verb
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The invisible, odorless gas is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States, killing more than 400 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2025
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Thousands each year are shot, poisoned to suffer, and trapped legally.—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Remember, Trump kicked off his political career by claiming Obama wasn't born here, and reportedly decided to run for president only after Obama humiliated him to his face at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2011.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
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In addition to the City of Hartford and Hartford School Board, the complaint named Tilda Santiago, a special education case manager who allegedly repeatedly bullied and harassed Ortiz by yelling and humiliating the teen in front of other students and teachers.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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So then, consent has been manufactured in the media to dehumanize and discriminate against trans people.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2025
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The temptation to dehumanize our enemies and label them as animals or insects aids to justify further violence.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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He was physically and mentally brutalized by a sociopathic father.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Jan. 2025
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Those who have been brutalized shall brutalize others in turn.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
18 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Animalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animalize. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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