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
Harry and William had a 72-hour argument via text in which William accused Harry of being brainwashed by therapy and Harry appealed unsuccessfully for William to join him for a session.
—
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
How could someone as young as Sisson already be brainwashed by big-money interests?
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Justine and Archer eventually overpower and kill the pair, all while Alex is trying to hide from his parents, who are brainwashed into trying to kill him.
—William Earl, Variety, 9 Aug. 2025
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
How could someone as young as Sisson already be brainwashed by big-money interests?
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Justine and Archer eventually overpower and kill the pair, all while Alex is trying to hide from his parents, who are brainwashed into trying to kill him.
—William Earl, Variety, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainwashed
Verb
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Pope Francis fervently willed the Acutis sainthood case forward — convinced that the church needed someone like him to attract young Catholics to the faith while addressing the promises and perils of the digital age.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Joan and her dad are both convinced the world is going to end when that volcano erupts, but only one of them is willing to put themselves on the line in order to stop it.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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He was sentenced to 50 days in jail, which has already been satisfied by time served following his arrest, and five years probation.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
5 Sep. 2025
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The Packers satisfied a major need by adding an elite pass rusher.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The two are friends, which might have influenced the scheduling of this game.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
7 Sep. 2025
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He was further influenced after learning that the FBI often calls on priests, rabbis and other clergy members to counsel victims at mass-casualty events.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Canales was brought here to bring a creative offense to town.—
Mike Kaye
September 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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Jenkins voted to continue mask mandates in Brevard County schools, even after the DeSantis administration directed districts to lift them, a stance that brought protests outside her home, threats against her family, and national media scrutiny.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The email included a link to an ad for energy-efficient home appliances sold by a subsidiary of Whirlpool in Brazil.—
Kyle Ingram,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
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Powerball winners, results for 9/6/25 lottery drawing jackpot A ticket bought in Missouri and a ticket sold in Texas matched all six numbers to win Saturday night's Powerball jackpot.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Their leads include Dominican newcomer Valentina Shen Wu, who had to be persuaded several times to take on the role of the Chinese silk maker, Mei.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
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For his efforts, which also included spending more than $7,000 to trim trees and cut down two redwoods and a fir, he was rewarded with a certificate from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety that persuaded his insurer to maintain his coverage.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Carney said his and Jerome’s first trip to Finland interested two companies in Mooresville.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
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What interested me about Warren’s book was the emotional honesty and the intimacy of an artist that most people didn’t realize was going through one of the most painful times of his life.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Mali international has attracted interest from Turkey, and their transfer window does not close until September 12, so there is still time.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Our Place Wonder Oven in Steam What initially attracted me to the air fryer was its compact size.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brainwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwashed. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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