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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lobotomize
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
To lobotomize their ability to access and express the full range of human experience back to consenting adults seems not just puritanical, but a fool’s errand.
—Tabi Jensen, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2023
This attracted all kinds of attention to it, so of course MS lobotomized her.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 17 Feb. 2023
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
To lobotomize their ability to access and express the full range of human experience back to consenting adults seems not just puritanical, but a fool’s errand.
—Tabi Jensen, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2023
This attracted all kinds of attention to it, so of course MS lobotomized her.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 17 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lobotomize
Verb
-
The talks are set to take place amid concerns that the Kremlin is weaponizing ceasefire negotiations to delay and undermine negotiations for a settlement to the war.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
-
You will be expected to trust your agents, for the alternative would be micromanagement, and that would undermine the whole process.—
Jaron Lanier,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The victims are all male, the corpses all castrated, and each crime scene is signed with lines of poetry by the Argentinean writer Alejandra Pizarnik.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
-
As MacCulloch writes, impoverished parents might arrange for their son to be castrated to better his prospects for religious life and education.—
S. C. Cornell,
The New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The doctor added that recovery would best continue away from the hospital, where exposure to viruses risks weakening the Holy Father's condition.—
Danielle Wallace,
Fox News,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Seth Jones, president of the defense and security department of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says a trade war that punishes U.S. partners in the region threatens to weaken ties with Asian allies, possibly forcing them to reassess the reliability of U.S. security commitments.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Chirping at opposing fans after draining 3-pointers?—
Jay King,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
But with Young draining a 3-pointer with 2:45 to play, the Hawks drew within 114-109.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
With tennis becoming longer and more physical, best-of-five matches wreck players’ bodies, leaving them exhausted by the end of the tournament.—
Gavriella Epstein-Lightman,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Do my team members feel energized or exhausted by our culture?—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lobotomize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lobotomize. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share