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
In very One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fashion, good ol’ American capitalists were brainwashed into embracing Red communism.
—
Jack King, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
This was when Allison was still very deep in NXIVM, very much brainwashed.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025
She was completely brainwashed by Raniere, and became part of a harem of women who serviced his every need.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
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
As a teen, she was sent to Evelyn’s facility and brainwashed, too.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 26 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
Jack King, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
This was when Allison was still very deep in NXIVM, very much brainwashed.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025
She was completely brainwashed by Raniere, and became part of a harem of women who serviced his every need.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
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
As a teen, she was sent to Evelyn’s facility and brainwashed, too.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 26 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainwashed
Verb
-
After tumbling from a 50-foot height, Dan Aykroyd walked away convinced that a higher power had caught him.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
But Weber was always convinced that what his apparatuses were seeing was a real signal.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
This was clearly an audience satisfied with the show, but the reviews were oddly negative.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Gross satisfied an itch with his move to Dortmund, playing in the Champions League across 66 appearances, which included a goal and 15 assists, but Brighton is his spiritual home.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Jaramillo’s father was a veteran police officer who influenced him greatly.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Traffic congestion, public transit’s effect on neighborhoods and notable endorsements likely influenced voters most, local leaders and political experts say.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Playing Queen Charlotte brought her presence back to film following the height of her television fame with Prime Suspect.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Now, Letts has brought Coon back to Broadway with the Main Stem debut of his 1996 play Bug, a skin-crawling portrayal of people on the fringes.—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The new California law or Assembly Bill 1830 requires most tortillas and corn masa products sold to contain folic acid, a vitamin important to infant health, according to CalMatters.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
January 12,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The building was sold in 1951 for $600 and turned into a home, records show.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But the demonstrations are diffuse and largely leaderless, and Pezeshkian’s efforts at mediation — and the killings and arrests by security forces — have not persuaded the protesters to stay off the streets.—
Henry Austin,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The paintings worked because viewers did not need to be persuaded that these scenes mattered.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tommaso di Lampedusa’s novel, which looks at the unification of Italy from the perspective of a 20th-century writer, had a modernity that interested me.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Since his death more than two hundred years ago, Christophe’s tragic story has interested a broad array of playwrights, artists, novelists, and filmmakers across the world.—
Marlene L. Daut
September 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Atlanta hip hop duo also attracted an all-star group of musicians to the stage to perform their tribute.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
-
High demand for the offering, which attracted buy and sell orders of $13 billion, reflects confidence in the policy measures taken in the last two years by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to revive one of Africa’s largest economies, the country’s debt office said.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brainwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwashed. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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