gerrymander

[jer-i-man-der, ger-] / ˈdʒɛr ɪˌmæn dər, ˈgɛr- /

VERB

to divide into election districts in a politically-motivated way

Synonyms

STRONGEST

contrive engineer finesse manipulate

STRONG

distort doctor finagle interfere with juggle machinate tamper with

WEAK

influence

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.

On Monday the Court stopped a racial gerrymander in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Opponents of the retaliatory gerrymander include former California Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2025

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Alabama can’t use its congressional map with only one majority Black district, reasoning it was likely a discriminatory racial gerrymander that runs afoul of the Voting Rights Act.

From Washington Times • Jun. 8, 2023

In anticipation of this new redistricting cycle, Slate is revamping our gerrymander puzzle game from 2013 as part of our Who Counts? initiative.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2020

Another institution dating from this time is the gerrymander.

From A School History of the United States by McMaster, John Bach