as in convinced
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 brainwashed
These young girls have been brainwashed by a political movement that exists to disenfranchise them.
—
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Bistline further claimed that Bateman brainwashed her and initially convinced her to lie to authorities during her first interview with authorities in 2023.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
What, are you being brainwashed by communists?
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
Artificial men become soldiers and servants (a dead detective rebuilt as RoboCop; Bucky Barnes brainwashed to become the Winter Soldier; Anakin Skywalker resurrected as Darth Vader).
—Kennedy French, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Landfair claimed that she was brainwashed by Kelly.
—Katherine Lam, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Her home, District 12, has been destroyed and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) has been brainwashed by President Snow.
—Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Oct. 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
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Bistline further claimed that Bateman brainwashed her and initially convinced her to lie to authorities during her first interview with authorities in 2023.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
What, are you being brainwashed by communists?
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
Artificial men become soldiers and servants (a dead detective rebuilt as RoboCop; Bucky Barnes brainwashed to become the Winter Soldier; Anakin Skywalker resurrected as Darth Vader).
—Kennedy French, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Landfair claimed that she was brainwashed by Kelly.
—Katherine Lam, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Her home, District 12, has been destroyed and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) has been brainwashed by President Snow.
—Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainwashed
Verb
-
After seeing Fanny at the Troubadour, Perry’s secretary convinced her boss to check them out.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
3 May 2026
-
But experience had convinced him that his new machines would quickly pay for themselves.—
Alison J. Stein,
thehustle.co,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Personals like this one may feel like a relic—Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji, New York’s mayor and his wife, met on Hinge, after all—but love and lust have been satisfied by column inches since the 1800s.—
Zara Meerza,
Air Mail,
2 May 2026
-
State court records show Blueprint satisfied the judgment by last April.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The helmet logo, a chief, was influenced by Blackfeet Nation imagery, and team leadership consulted with the Blackfeet tribal chairman during its design.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Come Wednesday, the high pressure that is building is expected to slide away, influenced by yet another trough that’s expected to cool temperatures about 20 degrees from their Monday highs, according to the weather service.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Protesters brought noisemakers that were permanently activated and left them in the gallery as they were escorted out.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Last year brought record air quality alerts amid a severe wildfire season in western Canada.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The building in Chicago’s Fulton Market district sold for more than $412 million in October 2020.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Turner sold his father's billboard business to buy an independent Atlanta TV station in 1970, then expanded it into a nationwide network of channels including TBS, TNT and CNN, the latter of which launched in 1980 with nonstop news coverage.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Historically, Angelenos didn’t need to be persuaded to ride the train.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
But the price was worth it for Bischofberger, who persuaded Warhol to give him right of first refusal for his art, a stipulation that the artist upheld until his death in 1987.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
As to why the format interested him, Hawley pointed to a similarity with Fargo.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Cindy would give Ann gourmet popcorn or maybe a sweatshirt from her alma mater, while Ann would give Cindy a special book on a topic that interested her, or maybe an old batch of family recipes.—
Ross Channing Reed,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The strains of hantavirus in the Americas are attracted to the small blood vessels of the lungs and make the blood vessels leaky — which is bad, because the lungs need air, Chin-Hong said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
Hummingbirds adore the blooms as much as gardeners and are attracted to the brilliant hues.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brainwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwashed. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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