Definition of deafen
deafened
;deafening
play \-fə-niŋ, ˈdef-niŋ\transitive verb
: to make deaf was deafened by the explosion
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Examples of deafen in a Sentence
We were deafened by the explosion.
Recent Examples of deafen from the Web
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The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening; his career as a loan officer may have been flashing before his eyes.
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And while Trump’s silence on the issue is to be expected, it’s Obama’s that continues to be deafening.
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Seconds later, the noise had built to a crescendo and the cheering and chants were deafening.
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For almost three years, the deafening noise from incoming flights has thundered down on hundreds of Dania Beach homeowners.
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These blasts are deafening to animals underwater and are already known to have consequences for marine mammals, many of which depend on echolocation to communicate and hunt.
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Their silence on Philando Castile is deafening, especially since black men and women in America are far more likely to be affected by gun violence than white Americans.
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The near silence of the National Rifle Association about this case has been deafening.
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The noise was deafening as a tidal wave of humanity, more than 12,000 strong descended on me, pushing, punching, screaming.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deafen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of deafen
1597
DEAFEN Defined for English Language Learners
deafen
playDefinition of deafen for English Language Learners
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: to make (someone) unable to hear
DEAFEN Defined for Kids
deafen
playDefinition of deafen for Students
deafened
;deafening
: to make unable to hear We were deafened by the explosion.
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about deafen
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Spanish Central: Translation of deafen Nglish: Translation of deafen for Spanish speakers
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