Propaganda Techniques

noun a method of changing someone's beliefs or attitudes through intense manipulation or persuasion

• The cult leader used various psychological techniques to brainwash his followers.
• I can't believe she fell for that scam, they really brainwashed her.
• Don't listen to him, he's just trying to brainwash you.
• The constant negative news coverage seemed to brainwash the public into believing the worst.

noun a county in North Carolina, United States

• The politician's speech was full of buncombe and lacked any substantial policy proposals.
• Don't listen to him, he's just talking buncombe.
• I can't believe people actually fall for that buncombe.
• Her excuses were nothing but buncombe to avoid taking responsibility.

verb to damage the reputation of someone by making false statements about them

• It is illegal to defame someone's character through false accusations.
• Don't defame others with rumors and gossip.
• She's always trying to defame people to make herself look better.
• His actions defame the reputation of the entire organization.

noun a political activity or practice that seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument

• The politician's demagoguery was evident in his speeches, appealing to emotions rather than logic.
• I can't stand the demagoguery of that guy, always trying to manipulate people with his words.
• Don't fall for his demagoguery, he's just trying to stir up trouble.
• Her demagoguery was like a dark cloud looming over the political landscape.

verb to twist or change something out of its usual, natural, or original shape or condition

• The artist used a special technique to distort the image in his painting.
• Don't distort the facts just to win an argument.
• Stop trying to twist the truth and distort what really happened.
• Her anger seemed to distort her perception of reality.

noun a lie or untrue statement

adjective not in accordance with the truth or facts

• The defendant was found guilty of spreading falsehoods about the company's financial status.
• Don't believe everything you hear, there are a lot of falsehoods going around.
• I can't stand people who spread fake news and falsehoods.
• His entire argument was built on a foundation of falsehoods and half-truths.

noun A person who is authoritarian, dictatorial, or intolerant towards those they oppose

adjective Relating to or characteristic of fascism, an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization

• The rise of a fascist regime in the country is a cause for concern among the international community.
• I can't believe some people still support that fascist politician.
• That guy is a total fascist, always trying to control everything.
• The strict rules of the company make it feel like a fascist dictatorship sometimes.

noun a marching step in which the legs are swung high and kept straight and the shoulders are thrown back

• The soldiers marched in perfect unison, executing the precise movements of the goose step.
• I tried to goose step along with the parade but I just couldn't keep up!
• Those dancers were goose stepping all over the dance floor last night!
• The company's new policy seemed to be a goose step towards stricter regulations.

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.

verb to give false or misleading information to someone

• It is unethical for the news outlet to misinform the public with false information.
• Don't believe everything you read online, some websites misinform people on purpose.
• I can't stand it when people spread fake news and misinform others.
• Her biased opinions misinform her perception of reality.

verb to cause someone to believe something that is not true; to deceive or trick

• The company was fined for using deceptive advertising to mislead consumers.
• Don't let him mislead you with his smooth talk.
• She tried to mislead me, but I saw right through her lies.
• His actions were meant to mislead, but in the end, the truth prevailed.

noun the act of making malicious or slanderous statements about someone

• The political debate was marred by constant mudslinging between the candidates.
• I can't stand all the mudslinging going on in this election.
• The mudslinging between those two is getting out of hand.
• The gossip magazines are known for their mudslinging tactics towards celebrities.

noun a form of fascism that incorporates scientific racism and antisemitism

• The rise of Nazism in Germany led to World War II and the Holocaust.
• Nazism is basically the extreme form of fascism.
• Some people still believe in the twisted ideology of Nazism.
• The spread of hate speech online can be compared to the propaganda tactics used by Nazism.

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 person or group holding extreme political views, especially those who advocate conservative or reactionary policies

adjective relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough

• The rise of the radical right in politics has sparked concern among many citizens.
• Some people are really worried about the radical right gaining power.
• I can't stand those radical right-wing nutjobs.
• The roots of the radical right run deep in our society.

noun A task or assignment that is meant to distract or deceive someone

• The company was accused of giving a snow job to investors by presenting false financial statements.
• Don't believe everything he says, he's just trying to give you a snow job.
• I can't stand that guy, he's always trying to pull a snow job on me.
• Her compliments felt like a snow job, insincere and superficial.

verb Vilifying is a verb that means to speak or write about someone in a very critical or abusive way.

• The politician was accused of vilifying his opponent during the debate.
• I heard that she's been vilifying her ex-boyfriend on social media.
• Stop vilifying me behind my back!
• The media's constant vilifying of the celebrity eventually took its toll on her mental health.

noun a method of painting walls or buildings with whitewash

verb to cover up or gloss over the faults or errors of (someone or something)

• The practice of whitewashing historical events has been criticized for distorting the truth.
• I can't believe they're whitewashing the story to make themselves look better.
• Stop whitewashing the situation and tell me the truth.
• She tried to whitewash her past mistakes, but everyone could see the truth.

noun a shortened form of 'disinformation', false or misleading information that is spread deliberately to deceive or manipulate people

• The spread of disinfo can have serious consequences on public perception and decision-making.
• Don't believe everything you read online, there's a lot of disinfo out there.
• I can't stand all the disinfo being shared on social media.
• Her mind was clouded with disinfo, making it hard for her to see the truth.

noun a propaganda strategy used by organizations or governments to improve their public image through sports-related activities or events

• Sportswashing is a term used to describe the practice of countries using sports events to improve their public image.
• Have you heard of sportswashing? It's when countries try to boost their reputation through sports.
• Sportswashing is like when a country tries to cover up their bad actions with sports stuff.
• Sportswashing is like putting a fresh coat of paint on a damaged reputation.

noun a person who is unwittingly manipulated by someone else to promote their own agenda or interests

adjective describing someone who is being used in this way

• The political strategist saw the activist as a useful idiot to further their own agenda.
• The boss always sees him as a useful idiot, doing all the work without getting any credit.
• He's just a useful idiot for the company, always doing what they say without question.
• The puppet leader was nothing more than a useful idiot for the real power behind the scenes.

noun a form of psychological warfare that involves the use of propaganda, disinformation, and other tactics to influence the attitudes and behavior of a target audience

• The military unit specializes in conducting psyops to influence enemy behavior.
• The government is using psyops to manipulate public opinion.
• I heard they're running psyops to mess with their heads.
• Her persuasive skills are like psyops, subtly influencing those around her.

noun a type of warfare that involves the use of information and communication technology to achieve strategic or political objectives

• The government is investing in strategies to combat foreign information warfare.
• People need to be aware of the dangers of information warfare online.
• Don't fall for the fake news, it's all part of the information warfare going on.
• In the age of social media, information warfare is like a battlefield of ideas and opinions.

noun a person who stirs up hatred or prejudice against a particular group of people

• The politician was labeled a hatemonger for his divisive rhetoric.
• I can't stand listening to that hatemonger on the radio.
• That guy is such a hatemonger, always spreading hate everywhere.
• The online forum had turned into a breeding ground for hatemongers.

adjective describes a person who gains power and popularity by appealing to people's emotions and prejudices rather than by using rational arguments

• The politician's demagogic speech appealed to the fears and prejudices of the audience.
• I can't stand listening to that demagogic talk show host spewing nonsense.
• The candidate's demagogic tactics are really turning voters off.
• Her demagogic leadership style divided the team and caused tension among colleagues.

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.

noun the quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true

adjective relating to or characteristic of truthiness

• The concept of truthiness refers to the quality of seeming or being felt as true, even if not necessarily true in reality.
• People tend to believe in truthiness rather than seeking out actual facts sometimes.
• Don't just go by truthiness, do your research and find the real truth.
• Her argument was based more on truthiness than on concrete evidence.

noun a political theory advocating centralized control of economic and political matters under a dictatorship

• Stalinism was the political and economic policies implemented by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union.
• Some people still debate the impact of Stalinism on Russian society.
• I heard that guy is really into Stalinism, like he's obsessed with it.
• The strict rules and control in that company make it feel like a form of Stalinism.

verb to adapt or use something as a weapon

• The military sought to weaponize the new technology for strategic advantage.
• Some people try to weaponize their words during arguments.
• Gangs often weaponize social media to intimidate their rivals.
• She knew how to weaponize her charm to get what she wanted.