Meaning & use
syop
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Meaning
nouncountableslang
Online slang for an organized effort to shape what people believe, often called out as a trick or manipulation.
Grammar: Countable: that post was a syop; people also say psyop.
Patterns
- a syop by someone
- a syop to do something
Half the comments under that video look like a syop to push one opinion.
He called the viral rumor a syop meant to distract everyone.
Some users shout syop whenever a trend seems too convenient.
Word forms
| plural | syops |
|---|
Common combinations
- call it a syop
- Online critics were quick to call it a syop.
- a media syop
- Many viewers dismissed the story as a media syop.
- a coordinated syop
- The account looked like part of a coordinated syop.
- fall for a syop
- Don't fall for a syop just because a post is popular.
Synonyms and how they differ
- psyop
- Psyop is the more standard spelling, originally a military term, and syop is just a casual shortened spelling.
- propaganda
- Propaganda is the formal word for biased messaging meant to sway opinion, while syop is slangy and often used as a quick accusation.
- disinformation
- Disinformation means false information spread on purpose, whereas a syop is the whole scheme, which may use true facts too.
- hoax
- A hoax is a deliberate trick, usually about one claim, rather than a broad influence campaign.
Word family
- psyop noun
- a psychological operation meant to influence attitudes
- psychological adjective
- relating to the mind
- psyops noun
- the plural, meaning several such campaigns
Commonly confused: syop or sap? syop or synopsis?
syop vs sap
Sap is a plant fluid or a gullible person; it is a different word despite the similar letters.
syop vs synopsis
A synopsis is a short summary of a book or film and has nothing to do with manipulation.
Practice
A user claims the sudden wave of identical posts is a ______ designed to sway voters.
Choose one answer.
Syop is slang for a manipulation campaign. A synopsis is only a short summary, so it does not suggest deception.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “syop”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.