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
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
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
California high school senior Hadeel Hazameh believes she was brainwashed.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
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
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
California high school senior Hadeel Hazameh believes she was brainwashed.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainwashed
Verb
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According to Marcia, George was convinced he’d be laughed out of Hollywood because in the original script characters were running around and shooting at one another and nobody was getting hurt.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
Adams, convinced that the group was no longer believable, gave a tell-all interview to a reporter at Vanity Fair, calling Eternal Values a cult and exposing Mierers practice of charging members thousands of dollars for cheap gemstones and crystals.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2026
Verb
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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
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State court records show Blueprint satisfied the judgment by last April.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Serna and his coaches were also influenced by Kimball’s State double a year earlier.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Over the last decade, deep political divisions have influenced the way people view the nation’s history.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The significance of beef here extends well beyond economics and cuisines, but historians often describe Texas’ barbecue culture as a reflection of the state’s layered immigration history – traditions brought by communities that shaped Texas over generations.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Christine Russo, sister of The Crash victim Dominic Russo, is infuriated the Netflix documentary has brought fame to her brother's killer, Mackenzie Shirilla.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Verb
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In June 2025, a 1,841-square-foot single-family residence in the 1200 block of Renraw Drive sold for $1,850,000, a price per square foot of $1,005.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
-
Van Stone said nine of the 10 Lexus Vaults have been sold.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Pollock persuaded Cineplex Odeon to invest in the film, limiting Universal’s risk.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
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Some laughed as their classmates persuaded them.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
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To my surprise, that interested him—most men wouldn’t have wanted to hear about it.—
Joyce Johnson,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
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Around the same time, Barwick and his then-student, Peter Haine, independently came up with a slightly different definition in order to answer a particular question in category theory that interested them.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Also reported this morning, the latter Swede is being linked with a loan to Ajax while Casado has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and AS Monaco where Ansu Fati has enjoyed a highly successful temporary assignment in 2025/2026.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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There’s just so many things beyond human connection that people are more attracted to now.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brainwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwashed. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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