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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lobotomize
Verb
-
Things could have been better still had Leclerc’s race not been undermined by the timing of the two safety cars.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
-
Trump has pursued policies that have repeatedly undermined the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—and show that divisions between the United States and Israel are widening.—
Daniel Byman,
The Atlantic,
24 May 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
-
In an unnamed city, a man has been murdered and castrated, his body left in an alley.—
Katie Kitamura,
New York Times,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In Colorado, for example, several AI companies recently lobbied to delay and weaken the state’s landmark AI accountability legislation — a preview of what unchecked industry influence could look like under a regulatory freeze.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
Growing same-store sales by 3%, fueled by an increase in customer transactions, in a three-month period marked by tariff uncertainty and weakening consumer sentiment is impressive.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
Treating this condition involves surgery to implant a shunt to drain excess fluid from the inside of the skull, according to the Cleveland Clinic.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
-
Preventative measures There are ways to avoid such a financially and emotionally draining situation.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
The board expects to establish authorize another buyback once the existing share repurchase is exhausted.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
23 May 2025
-
The Premier League attempted to broker an agreement but after exhausting all avenues the only option available in the time frame was to play at Joie Stadium.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lobotomize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lobotomize. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share