mind games

American

plural noun

psychological manipulation or strategy, used especially to gain advantage or to intimidate.

mind games British

plural noun

actions or statements intended to undermine or mislead someone else, often to gain advantage for oneself

she started playing mind games with me

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mind games

1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For the next several hours, Nick and Honey serve as unwitting pawns in the older couple’s clever, but vicious, mind games.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Phil Pines and Ethan were part of Combs' small group of trusted assistants and say he often played mind games with staff.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2025

Like all good mind games, there was a large degree of truth in it.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2025

It's hard to pinpoint the precise moment when mind games began on Lions tours, but we have an impeccable witness in plumping for 1896 in South Africa.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2025

Her superior attitude, her mind games, her domination of the 400-meter.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023