as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
fear of saying anything controversial has so lobotomized this book on geopolitics that it fails to say anything at all
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Recent Examples of lobotomize
All’s Fair is a 2010s Shonda Rhimes procedural on steroid shots and Goop supplements, if everyone in the writers’ room had been freshly lobotomized.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Neuro procedures are always the scariest, because the surgeons are basically poking around in a little black box and staring at brain waves and hoping their patients don’t wake up partially lobotomized.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
According to the film’s psychiatric adviser, Professor James Gilligan, however, who spoke to The Guardian in 2010, Andrew was aware of his actions when he was ordered to be lobotomized.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Quinn also needed to lobotomize the football culture and get players to buy into his team-over-me standard.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
And to do so without fear of being incarcerated, lobotomized, rejected by our families or fired.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 29 June 2024
Violet has had Catherine committed, and is advocating for her to be lobotomized by young surgeon John Cukrowicz (gay Hollywood legend Montgomery Clift) in a veiled attempt to keep their past with Sebastian a secret.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 17 June 2024
It’s just absolutely been lobotomized into something that sounds like Wikipedia, essentially.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Aug. 2023
For someone who witnessed the Obama-era phenomenon of Low End Theory, the place seemed lobotomized.
—Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2023
Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Neuro procedures are always the scariest, because the surgeons are basically poking around in a little black box and staring at brain waves and hoping their patients don’t wake up partially lobotomized.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
According to the film’s psychiatric adviser, Professor James Gilligan, however, who spoke to The Guardian in 2010, Andrew was aware of his actions when he was ordered to be lobotomized.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Quinn also needed to lobotomize the football culture and get players to buy into his team-over-me standard.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
And to do so without fear of being incarcerated, lobotomized, rejected by our families or fired.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 29 June 2024
Violet has had Catherine committed, and is advocating for her to be lobotomized by young surgeon John Cukrowicz (gay Hollywood legend Montgomery Clift) in a veiled attempt to keep their past with Sebastian a secret.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 17 June 2024
It’s just absolutely been lobotomized into something that sounds like Wikipedia, essentially.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Aug. 2023
For someone who witnessed the Obama-era phenomenon of Low End Theory, the place seemed lobotomized.
—Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lobotomize
Verb
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The video evidence also appears to undermine elements of the government’s narrative of what happened.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Environmental and labor leaders say the pause is costing thousands of jobs and undermining energy independence.—
Carolyn Gusoff,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Set in the Italian opera world of the 1700s, Rice’s novel tells the not-for-the-squeamish story of two male soprano singers who were castrated as boys in order to maintain their high voices.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
12 Nov. 2025
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The book follows two men pursuing opera in 18th-century Italy — one, named Guido, is castrated to preserve his soprano singing voice, and the other, Tonio, is castrated by his brother Carlo in an attempt to control their family line.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Evergreen branches bent under the weight of snow are already weakened; sweeping down the length of the branch toward the ground adds to the stress and increases the potential for breakage.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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These policies impose devastating costs on American citizens, weakening our economy, increasing the national debt, straining public budgets and tearing families apart.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Check Drainage and Irrigate Poorly draining soil causes root rot and plant failure.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
15 Jan. 2026
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That organization often charges more for its services than county public guardians, which along with fees billed by lawyers working on the cases can quickly drain a person’s savings, the Tribune found.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Others were exhausted from hearing about some of the wealthiest people on the planet barely holding it together.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
15 Jan. 2026
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But the Beige Book suggested that time may now be nigh, with businesses having exhausted their pre-tariff stockpiles and now have a need to pass the cost increases to consumers.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lobotomize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lobotomize. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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