Meaning & use
brainwash
To pressure or manipulate someone systematically until they abandon their beliefs and accept new ones.
See it in a sentence
The documentary claimed the cult had brainwashed its members into cutting off contact with their families.
Advertisers can't literally brainwash consumers, but repeated messaging does shape what people buy.
A note on using this word
Brainwash is a strong, often accusatory word implying deliberate, coercive manipulation, not ordinary persuasion or advertising.
Words with a similar meaning
indoctrinatecondition
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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