verb

Streisand

STREYE-sand

Streisand (verb) means to try to hide or suppress information online, only to draw far more attention to it than it would have gotten otherwise. Example: “The company's lawyers tried to get the leaked memo taken down, but they ended up streisanding it — now it's everywhere.”

verb

To try to hide or suppress information online, only to draw far more attention to it than it would have gotten otherwise.

"The company's lawyers tried to get the leaked memo taken down, but they ended up streisanding it — now it's everywhere."

"Threatening to sue the blogger just streisanded the story onto every major news site."

How to use Streisand

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTrying to hush something up and accidentally making it go viral instead.

Memory tip

Always used about the backfire effect itself, not about Barbra Streisand the person.

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Common pairings

streisand a story the Streisand effect

Word forms

Streisanded past tense, Streisands singular

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The company's lawyers tried to get the leaked memo taken down, but they ended up _____ it — now it's everywhere.

Etymology

Named after singer Barbra Streisand, whose 2003 lawsuit to remove a photo of her house from the internet backfired spectacularly and made the photo famous.

· First attested 2003

Class of 2003 Streisand joined the language around 2003.

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Frequently asked questions

What does “Streisand” mean?

The word “Streisand” means to try to hide or suppress information online, only to draw far more attention to it than it would have gotten otherwise. In plain terms, trying to hush something up and accidentally making it go viral instead.

How do you pronounce “Streisand”?

“Streisand” is pronounced STREYE-sand (/ˈstɹaɪ.sænd/ in IPA).

How do you use “Streisand” in a sentence?

Here is “Streisand” used in a sentence: “The company's lawyers tried to get the leaked memo taken down, but they ended up streisanding it — now it's everywhere.”

What part of speech is “Streisand”?

“Streisand” is a verb.

Where does the word “Streisand” come from?

The word “Streisand” dates back to around 2003. Named after singer Barbra Streisand, whose 2003 lawsuit to remove a photo of her house from the internet backfired spectacularly and made the photo famous.