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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Mao's signature carnage, the Cultural Revolution, was a chaotic orgy of violence, a world apart from Stalin's meticulously scripted Great Terror and show trials of the 1930s. —

Nick Frisch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2017 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 See all Example Sentences for show trial