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
People who vote for MAGA Republicans are mentally challenged and brainwashed.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Society has brainwashed us for decades into bottling our emotions, saying less, not rocking the boat, and just carrying so much on our shoulders.
—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
The siblings had been brainwashed, abused and groomed while growing up in a cult led by Bernie Hoffman, an apocalyptic preacher and false prophet known to the world as Tony Alamo.
—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Society has brainwashed us for decades into bottling our emotions, saying less, not rocking the boat, and just carrying so much on our shoulders.
—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
The siblings had been brainwashed, abused and groomed while growing up in a cult led by Bernie Hoffman, an apocalyptic preacher and false prophet known to the world as Tony Alamo.
—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainwashed
Verb
-
Not everyone is convinced the project will be beneficial.
-
Larys convinced Aegon to ride out the Dance of the Dragons in Essos, but the pair doesn’t make it as far as Duskendale before they’re intercepted by Rhaenyra’s soldiers.
Verb
-
Doubts about his age have emerged from time to time and, while official documents have verified his date of birth and satisfied Indian cricket’s governing body, the sceptics will not always be satisfied.
-
After more than five months of picket lines, the Writers Guild won a contract that satisfied its membership.
Verb
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Investigators said interviews with Sayer after his arrest indicated he was influenced by the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 that left 13 dead.
-
Offer availability, placement, and display are determined by the third party and may be influenced by compensation and other factors.
Verb
-
Many have carried the Indian flag and brought copies of the constitution to the demonstration.
-
Reyna lifted the ball into the penalty area for Pulisic, who brought it down and won a corner kick.
Verb
-
The only food stall that was open during kickoff sold turkey legs for $23, a smash cheeseburger for $20 and a giant western sausage for $20.
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An oceanfront home in the Laguna Beach enclave of Emerald Bay has quietly sold for $110 million, the highest price in Orange County history.
Verb
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Those massive market gains have persuaded stockholders to spend.
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The 26-year-old midfielder was injured for the match in Minsk and reportedly only decided to take the flight as a last-minute decision after being persuaded to do so by his team-mates.
Verb
-
What interested him was the gap between the performance of power and whatever lives underneath it.
-
That’s a cheap and easy analogy, but that’s what interested me to want to make this show.
Verb
-
Between 2015 and 2025, the UK attracted 949 FDI projects, more than France and Germany combined, according to EY, a professional services firm.
-
The soldier’s death attracted nationwide condemnation.
Cite this Entry
“Brainwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwashed. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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