• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & Entertainment

Here Are the Words People Looked Up During the Republican Debate

By
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 7, 2016, 2:36 PM ET
US ELECTION POLITICS REPUBLICANS DEBATE
Photograph by Jewel Samad — AFP/Getty Images

By Melissa Chan

Curious potential voters watching Republicans duke it out during the eighth presidential debate Saturday in New Hampshire helped get about a half-dozen words trending on Dictionary.com. The digital dictionary provided TIME with a list of the most-searched definitions during the ABC debate between real estate mogul Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Here’s what viewers looked up.

Word: waterboarding

Definition: (noun) a harsh interrogation technique in which water is poured onto the face and head of the immobilized victim so as to induce a fear of drowning.

Debate Usage: The candidates were asked whether waterboarding was considered a form of torture and their thoughts on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques since 9/11. Trump said the technique works and that he would use it if elected to be commander-in-chief. “I’d bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding,” Trump said. Cruz said waterboarding is not considered torture, under his definition that torture brings “excruciating pain that is equivalent to losing organs and systems.” “It is enhanced interrogation,” Cruz said, adding that he wouldn’t bring it back “in any sort of widespread use.”

Word: torture

Definition: (noun) the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.

Debate Usage: The discussion on waterboarding helped drive a 157% increase in Dictionary.com users searching for the word “torture.”

Word: truant

Definition: (noun) a person who shirks or neglects his or her duty.

Debate Usage: Christie attacked Rubio’s Senate record, saying the Florida lawmaker has “not been involved” in consequential decisions. “When you talk about Hezbollah Sanctions Act that you list as one of your accomplishments, you weren’t even there to vote for it,” Christie said. “That’s not leadership. That’s truancy.” The word saw a 225% jump in searches.

Word: preemptive

Definition: (adjective) taken as a measure against something possible, anticipated, or feared; preventive; deterrent.

Debate Usage: The word “preemptive” was used at least five times during the Republican debate, leading to the 50% jump in searches. The candidates were asked how they would respond to this weekend’s rocket launch by North Korea and if they would consider a preemptive strike against the rocket as it sat on its launchpad in North Korea. Bush said he would approve a strike. “The next president of the United States is going to have to get the United States back in the game, and if a preemptive strike is necessary to keep us safe, then we should do it,” Bush said.

Other words that were searched more than usual: galvanize, endorsement, eminent domain, and nothing.

This article originally appeared on Time.com

About the Author
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Big TechStreaming
Trump warns Netflix-Warner deal may pose antitrust ‘problem’
By Hadriana Lowenkron, Se Young Lee and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
8 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentReligion
This pastor fills up arenas with young people by not sugarcoating the Bible, serving a generation ‘gravitating towards that authenticity and truth’
By Charlotte Kramon and The Associated PressDecember 7, 2025
16 hours ago
MagazineWarren Buffett
Warren Buffett: Business titan and cover star
By Indrani SenDecember 7, 2025
21 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
Former Amazon Studios boss warns the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal will make Hollywood ‘a system that circles a single sun’
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
Raul Rocha Cantú
LawCrime
Miss Universe co-owner gets bank accounts frozen as part of probe into drugs, fuel and arms trafficking
By Fabiola Sánchez and The Associated PressDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
Zaslav, Sarandos
BankingMedia
A Thanksgiving dealmaking sprint helped Netflix win Warner Bros.
By Michelle F. Davis and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says Europe has a 'real problem’
By Katherine Chiglinsky and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Supreme Court to reconsider a 90-year-old unanimous ruling that limits presidential power on removing heads of independent agencies
By Mark Sherman and The Associated PressDecember 7, 2025
16 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.