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
-
However, Brenda's two daughters, Michelle Wonders and Monica Tagas, were left questioning the investigation, convinced that their mother had been murdered, per the Chronicle.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Nearly two months ago, AMC sold most of its Hycroft Mining stake to the gold and silver mine’s largest investor, Canadian billionaire Eric Sprott, who convinced AMC to join him in making their original investment in 2022.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
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
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Longer-term rates, like mortgage rates, are more influenced by inflation and other economic factors.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
As a teen-ager, Libby was influenced by Aaron Sorkin and Annie Baker, a real Devil-on-one-shoulder, angel-on-the-other situation.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Starmer has brought a delegation of nearly 60 British business executives and organization leaders on this trip.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Another lawsuit brought by detainees in federal court in Fort Myers argued that immigration was a federal issue, and Florida agencies and private contractors hired by the state had no authority to operate the facility under federal law.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Forbes estimates last year’s event generated more than $25 million in ticket sales and sold millions more in merchandise.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Goodarzi, an engineer and tech executive, sold his clean energy company, US Hybrid, for $50 million in 2021, according to The California Post.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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The paintings worked because viewers did not need to be persuaded that these scenes mattered.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What interested him most about returning to the role was playing those contradictions at once.—
Anushka Halve,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
-
What interested me in photographing Chalmers wasn’t capturing the disembodied ideas.—
Dan Turello,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The upstream piranhas attacked her, and her blood flowing downstream attracted the rest of the piranhas, leaving the creek clear for the herd to cross.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The outing attracted dozens of naval enthusiasts to the waterfront.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brainwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwashed. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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