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Phrasal Verb - Ganging up on

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Ganging up on

Image uploaded to Pixabay by annawaldl

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Definition

To 'gang up on' someone or something means for a group of people to unite, often in a concerted, unfair, or aggressive manner, against an individual or a smaller group. The primary intention is typically to overpower, intimidate, criticize relentlessly, or defeat the target by leveraging numerical superiority or collective influence. This action usually implies an imbalance of power and often carries a negative connotation, suggesting bullying, conspiracy, or an unsportsmanlike approach. The motivation can range from malicious intent to a misguided attempt to correct, control, or simply outvote someone.

Examples

No.Example
1The older kids would often gang up on the new student during recess, making him feel isolated and picked on.
2During the town hall meeting, it felt like several residents decided to gang up on the mayor regarding the new tax proposal.
3She always felt her siblings would gang up on her when they played board games, ensuring she never won.
4The two political parties decided to gang up on the independent candidate, criticizing his every statement.
5It's not fair to gang up on him just because he made one small mistake; let's discuss it calmly.
6The marketing team tended to gang up on any new idea that wasn't proposed by their leader.
7Don't let them gang up on you; stand your ground and articulate your point of view firmly.
8The critics seemed to gang up on the director's latest film, giving it overwhelmingly negative reviews.
9Whenever a new employee started, the veteran staff would sometimes gang up on them with complex tasks.
10The smaller nations feared that the economic superpowers would gang up on them to dictate unfair trade terms.