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
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
What the choice actually did was magically lobotomize them, sending them wandering the streets.
—Steven Strom, Ars Technica, 6 June 2018
In other words, lobotomize the civil rights and antiwar protesters.
—Rob Verger, Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2014
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
What the choice actually did was magically lobotomize them, sending them wandering the streets.
—Steven Strom, Ars Technica, 6 June 2018
In other words, lobotomize the civil rights and antiwar protesters.
—Rob Verger, Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2014
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lobotomize
Verb
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To use the threat of sanctions to strong-arm South Korea today would similarly undermine the values that Washington’s claims distinguish democracy from autocracy—giving China more ammunition to attack the United States for hypocrisy.Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
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This disconnection ultimately undermines both employee engagement and organizational effectiveness—as seen in Boeing's case, where workers felt abandoned by a management team that no longer seemed to understand or value their craft.Jessica Kriegel, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In 1952, Turing was prosecuted for homosexual acts, a criminal offense at the time, and chose to be chemically castrated instead of serving prison time.Carlie Porterfield, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024
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According to the memorandum and witness testimony, Clark attempted to castrate herself in her cell.Kaitlyn Pohly, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2024
Verb
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An easy monetary policy typically weakens a country’s currency, making exports cheaper and potentially supports growth in the face of tariffs.Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
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This rare condition occurs when the ligaments holding the lower ribs in place weaken, allowing the ribs to move out of position and causing pain.Lindsay Curtis, Health, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Introverts often expend extra energy to engage in social interactions, which can be draining.Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
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What follows is one of the most tonally bizarre and genuinely fun movies-about-movies ever made, touching on themes about the monstrosity of artistic genius while also letting Dafoe’s vampire be a diva who snatches a bat out of the air and drains it like a Capri Sun in front of the producers.Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But the chatter grew louder when FEMA exhausted its funds during Helene — which spurred a cash infusion from Congress after Milton struck — and it was discovered that one Florida staffer directed workers to skip homes with Trump signs.Lawrence Mower, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Dec. 2024
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Some of those who have been at the center of such debates seem visibly exhausted by the subject of female electability.Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near lobotomize
Cite this Entry
“Lobotomize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lobotomize. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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