as in convincing
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 brainwashing
Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
The tests were believed to be part of a super-secret experimentation program, Project MKUltra, which ran from 1953 to 1973 (when the program’s records were destroyed) to identify drugs that could weaken individuals and force confessions through brainwashing and psychological torture.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath, Rogers frees his teammates from prison while Barnes undergoes cryogenic stasis in Wakanda until his brainwashing can be cured.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025
Yet, going by the best ethnographic and social-science research, his fear of brainwashing was overblown.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for brainwashing
Verb
If brainwashing doesn’t work, defendants can hardly claim it as a defense.
—Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
The tests were believed to be part of a super-secret experimentation program, Project MKUltra, which ran from 1953 to 1973 (when the program’s records were destroyed) to identify drugs that could weaken individuals and force confessions through brainwashing and psychological torture.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath, Rogers frees his teammates from prison while Barnes undergoes cryogenic stasis in Wakanda until his brainwashing can be cured.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025
Yet, going by the best ethnographic and social-science research, his fear of brainwashing was overblown.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for brainwashing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainwashing
Verb
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While speaking on a panel at the opening of the movie, which details the life and career of actor John Candy, who died at 43 in 1994, Reynolds revealed that his 2-year-old son, Olin, played a key part in convincing Bill Murray, 74, to have a role in the documentary.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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And the amount of self-persuasion that goes into convincing yourself to do something like that might be a problem.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Fugees’ Pras Michel underwent emergency surgery for colon cancer last week, postponing legal proceedings in his foreign lobbying and conspiracy case.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
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With hundreds of millions having been poured into crypto lobbying efforts since the Presidential election the legal fight between these two groups appears to have no end in sight.—
Sean Stein Smith,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The monitors helped study participants needs such as food and restroom breaks, but the monitors were instructed not to provide any therapy to avoid influencing the study's results.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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The primordial magnetic fields likely increased the cosmic web’s density, which would have sped up the formation of stars and galaxies, thereby influencing the universe’s current structure.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This is the seduction drawing the ultra rich.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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The seduction of cognitive automation helps explain a worrying pattern: AI tools can boost the productivity of experts but may also actively mislead novices in expertise-heavy fields such as legal services.—
David Autor,
The Atlantic,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Baseball Savant shows the Astros' lefty being in the 98th percentile for inducing ground balls.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Here in his little 80-page grin-inducing edition published by Titan Books featuring those intimidating Klingons during their downtime, Spiotto lets his imagination run rampant in envisioning just what existence is like after the antagonism and combat plans are put away.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As mayor, Andrade blew the whistle on a contract for a company that developed a tax collection system for the city, a deal her predecessor approved without bringing it before the council, according to a record on the case.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Even though the Fever could get into the playoffs, bringing Clark back might not be a wise decision.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Not only were there tons of pickup trucks and SUVs to see, there was also live music, taco trucks and even a shop selling cowboy boots and hats.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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Google will pay $435 for the Pixel 7 Pro, which is selling for under $150 on eBay in some cases.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The brawling is weighty and the combos are satisfying to pull off, plus the rich artwork pops wonderfully across the screen.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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When life events call for satisfying comfort food, try our Eggplant Parmesan to evoke warmth and tenderness.—
Bethany Thayer,
Freep.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brainwashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwashing. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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