as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
time had cauterized his bitterness, and he was willing to let bygones be bygones
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Recent Examples of cauterize
Why not cauterize a severed hand, add some just-for-fun cocktail rings, and then shatter the hand’s rigid bones with a hammer or mallet, which will allow the fingers to be wrapped around a colorful ceramic mug with a holly or mistletoe motif?
—
Paul Rudnick, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
In making a film about the past set in the present, Saint-Martin formulates an indictment on his country’s unhealed wounds, which rather than cauterize with time, remain open since the festering corruption and abuse of power that obscured the truth around the students’ deaths, remains in place.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 19 Nov. 2025
In an effort to cauterize the conflict, which has been festering for the better part of a decade, Bessent said Trump plans to visit Xi in Beijing in early 2026, while the Chinese president is slated to attend the G20 Summit in Florida at one of Trump’s properties next December.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
When Amy Adams’ Lois Lane is wounded in the Arctic while working on a story, the ever-ready hero emerges from nowhere, ready to cauterize her wound with his X-ray eyes.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cauterize
Paul Rudnick, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
In making a film about the past set in the present, Saint-Martin formulates an indictment on his country’s unhealed wounds, which rather than cauterize with time, remain open since the festering corruption and abuse of power that obscured the truth around the students’ deaths, remains in place.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 19 Nov. 2025
In an effort to cauterize the conflict, which has been festering for the better part of a decade, Bessent said Trump plans to visit Xi in Beijing in early 2026, while the Chinese president is slated to attend the G20 Summit in Florida at one of Trump’s properties next December.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
When Amy Adams’ Lois Lane is wounded in the Arctic while working on a story, the ever-ready hero emerges from nowhere, ready to cauterize her wound with his X-ray eyes.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cauterize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cauterize
Verb
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New flyover ramps connecting to I-95 would also be built, while sound barriers would be installed along both sides of the corridor to help reduce traffic noise for nearby residents.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
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The rich treatment balances strengthening plant proteins with nourishing rosehip and sweet almond oils to reduce breakage and replenish moisture.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 June 2026
Verb
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Since the proposal was announced in October, Google co-founder Sergey Brin has donated $82 million to a political committee called Building a Better California that backs a variety of initiatives designed to blunt the billionaire tax proposal.—
Sophie Austin,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Since the proposal was announced in October, Google co-founder Sergey Brin has donated $82 million to a political committee called Building a Better California that backs a variety of initiatives designed to blunt the billionaire tax proposal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Freezes caused by large cold fronts pushing into the state from arctic regions can ice over and deaden fruitful citrus trees.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
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Exposing the dental pulp and cleaning out the cavity’s contents also would have deadened the nerves and blood vessels there, leading to pain relief, Zubova said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The danger is heavy-handed protections for Eskom will suppress wholesale prices, dulling market signals investors need for further investment in the sector, and effectively rebranding the old monopoly.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
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Fabric softener leaves a residue on elastane fibers that can dull the finish and attract bacteria, which causes excessive odor.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The weight that was added to the structure over its lifetime diminished the building’s margins against failure, the report said.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
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Louden points out that sometimes an English word strengthens and diversifies the Pennsylvania Dutch lexicon rather than diminishes it.—
Eythana Miller,
The Dial,
23 June 2026
Verb
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Because both actors look like lumpish proletarian versions of Ingmar Bergman stars — Alma Pöysti, radiant yet benumbed, plays Ansa like a dish-towel Bibi Andersson, and Jussi Vatanen could be the schlump brother of Max von Sydow (with a dollop of Ryan Gosling).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
23 May 2023
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What’s destructive, and eventually benumbing, is the kitchen-sink clutter of fantasy, reality, wish-fulfillment and glib enchantment.—
Joe Morgenstern,
WSJ,
24 Jan. 2019
Verb
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Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s consumer spending slowdown persisted in June, with growth during one of the country’s largest online shopping festivals weakening sharply from a year earlier.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
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All three of those protagonists have been weakened in their roles by what has gone on.—
Nasser Hussain,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cauterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cauterize. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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