deafened; deafening
ˈde-fə-niŋ 
ˈdef-niŋ
; deafens
: to make permanently or temporarily deaf
was deafened by the explosion
Examples of deafen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Every interaction simmers with tension, but that deafening silence and psychological intensity is the heart of the series.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Benedict’s offer is met with deafening silence, before Sophie flees his embrace in distress.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 30 Jan. 2026
One of the first things people notice after a layoff is the deafening silence.
—Lorraine K. Lee, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
But in the wake of an afternoon at Seattle’s deafening Lumen Field that should have propelled the Rams to the Super Bowl, this is one of those times.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deafen
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.
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Benedict’s offer is met with deafening silence, before Sophie flees his embrace in distress.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 30 Jan. 2026
One of the first things people notice after a layoff is the deafening silence.
—Lorraine K. Lee, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
But in the wake of an afternoon at Seattle’s deafening Lumen Field that should have propelled the Rams to the Super Bowl, this is one of those times.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deafen
Cite this Entry
“Deafen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deafen. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
