as in to convince
to cause (someone) to think or believe something by using methods that make a person unable to think normally
Terrorists brainwashed the prisoners. Does advertising brainwash children?
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Recent Examples of brainwash
There, Evelyn uses psychedelic drugs and psychological manipulation to brainwash them into joining the local community, which is, in fact, just a commune of Evelyn’s cultists.
—
Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Maybe Maurice wasn’t too far off on his hunch that the teens were being brainwashed into spy material.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
But Emma’s frustrated by how brainwashed Sam is.
—Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
California high school senior Hadeel Hazameh believes she was brainwashed.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
They’re being brainwashed in school.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Harry and William had a 72-hour argument via text in which William accused Harry of being brainwashed by therapy and Harry appealed unsuccessfully for William to join him for a session.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
The movie, a satire of the fashion industry, follows his male model character Derek Zoolander as the villainous mogul Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell) attempts to brainwash Derek into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
How could someone as young as Sisson already be brainwashed by big-money interests?
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Maybe Maurice wasn’t too far off on his hunch that the teens were being brainwashed into spy material.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
But Emma’s frustrated by how brainwashed Sam is.
—Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
California high school senior Hadeel Hazameh believes she was brainwashed.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
They’re being brainwashed in school.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Harry and William had a 72-hour argument via text in which William accused Harry of being brainwashed by therapy and Harry appealed unsuccessfully for William to join him for a session.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
The movie, a satire of the fashion industry, follows his male model character Derek Zoolander as the villainous mogul Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell) attempts to brainwash Derek into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
How could someone as young as Sisson already be brainwashed by big-money interests?
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainwash
Verb
-
His expression suddenly changed, as if he’d been caught off guard and had been expecting to have to work hard to convince me to write about the case.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Hamilton, convinced that salvaging his fiscal reputation required him to air his personal failings, published a lengthy tract, baring all.—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Vulnerable, the hefty game bonus would persuade me to issue an invitation.—
Deb Harvell,
Arkansas Online,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Witkoff, who has labored on Middle East diplomacy since January alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, persuaded Kushner to lend a hand.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The effect of microbetting, if not its intent, is to induce a fugue state that keeps users in action.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
-
BluSail Golitz Studios in Morehead City is a creativity-inducing place to play with clay.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Always bring a friend, and ensure that person has a cell phone to call 911 in case of an emergency.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Some of the survivors have been urging authorities for more than five years to bring him to justice.—
Meena Duerson,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Hyacinths will also attract deer.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Guille attracted interest this summer but wanted to stay.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
His success in Triple-A this year could entice a team to take a chance on him.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
And, that, my friends, will be the cause of much celebration if he could ever be enticed to perform at, say, the National Theatre, the Royal Court or the Almeida or the Donmar or in the commercial West End.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Solvay tried to influence the EPA over the drinking water limit the agency set for PFNA and other chemicals in the class, according to lobbying records.—
Sharon Lerner,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
-
And people just like deer, Caudell said, which also influences the population size the DNR manages toward.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Most of the stores surrounding this block are hybrids, selling biking equipment and coffee.—
Emilio Parra Doiztua,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
By the early sixties, these bricks, now made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, were sold across Europe and the United States.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brainwash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwash. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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