psychs out
Gets inside head
To psych out is to intimidate or unnerve someone through psychological tactics, undermining their confidence before a competition or confrontation: He tried to psych me out before the match with all that trash talk.
The goal is to gain advantage by getting inside someone's head.
Athletes, poker players, and negotiators all psych out opponents.
- deceivesCauses false belief
- disorientsCauses loss of bearings
- intimidatesFrightens into submission
- gaslightsDistorts someone's reality perception
- frustratesCauses annoyed disappointment
feints · bluffs · trash talks · confuses · outsmarts · unsettles · distracts · manipulates · stresses · unnerves · mind games · head games · misleads · taunts · provokes · agitates · overwhelms · demoralizes