Manipulation Tactics

adjective not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does

• His disingenuous behavior during the negotiation process was quite evident to all parties involved.
• I can't stand how disingenuous she acts around certain people.
• Stop being so disingenuous, just be real for once.
• The politician's disingenuous smile didn't fool anyone in the audience.

noun an insincere display of emotion

verb to pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury)

• She attempted to feign interest in the discussion, but her lack of engagement was evident.
• He tried to feign sickness to get out of going to school, but his mom didn't buy it.
• I could tell she was feigning excitement about the party, she's not really into that scene.
• The actor had to feign happiness on stage, even though he was going through a tough time in his personal life.

verb to teach or instruct someone in a specific set of beliefs or principles, often with the aim of persuading them to accept those beliefs without question

• The cult leader attempted to indoctrinate new members with his extreme beliefs.
• The professor tried to indoctrinate us with his own theories during the lecture.
• The group chat is full of conspiracy theories trying to indoctrinate people.
• The marketing campaign aimed to indoctrinate consumers into believing their product was essential.

noun the act of persuading or leading someone into doing something by deception or flattery

• The salesman's inveiglement tactics were transparent to the discerning customer.
• She tried to inveigle me into going shopping with her, but I declined.
• He used his smooth talking skills to inveigle his way into getting a discount.
• The politician's inveiglement of the public was met with skepticism and scrutiny.

noun the use of various tactics to undermine an enemy's morale, beliefs, and decision-making processes

• Psychological warfare is a tactic used in military operations to undermine the enemy's morale and mental state.
• The soldiers used psychological warfare to mess with the enemy's heads.
• They were playing mind games, using psychological warfare to gain the upper hand.
• In the world of politics, psychological warfare is often employed to manipulate public opinion.

noun a form of psychological manipulation in which a person seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual

verb to manipulate someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity

• The act of gaslighting involves manipulating someone into questioning their own reality.
• I can't believe she's gaslighting you like that, just trust your instincts.
• Stop gaslighting me, I know what really happened!
• The constant lies and manipulation felt like emotional gaslighting.