as in anesthetic
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in undermining
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
an excess of detail deadens much of the mystery novel's suspense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reducing
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a couple of aspirins deadened the headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of deadening
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
16 Sep. 2025
Scrolling on one’s phone can be a deadening experience, but here’s someone feeling, or at least pretending to feel, a genuine feeling—even if the abundance of these videos surely numbs us further.
—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
But the author wisely escapes the deadening simplifications of hindsight, which turn accidents into inevitabilities and potential futures into obvious dead ends.
—
Catherine Nicholson,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Horror of this scale has the effect of deadening words, making stories of the most unimaginable violence land with a dull thud.
—
Jack Sheehan
september 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadening
Verb
Thin sound deadening The Enabling Technology prize went to CompositeEdge GmbH and ATA Mute BV for a new kind of sound deadening.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
16 Sep. 2025
Scrolling on one’s phone can be a deadening experience, but here’s someone feeling, or at least pretending to feel, a genuine feeling—even if the abundance of these videos surely numbs us further.
—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
But the author wisely escapes the deadening simplifications of hindsight, which turn accidents into inevitabilities and potential futures into obvious dead ends.
—
Catherine Nicholson,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Horror of this scale has the effect of deadening words, making stories of the most unimaginable violence land with a dull thud.
—
Jack Sheehan
september 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadening
Adjective
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Because there is a depersonalized, anesthetic quality to it.
-
Any anesthetic product used on the toad must contain 20% benzocaine or lidocaine.
Verb
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Introducing such evidence can provoke sympathy for the defendant and distrust towards the prosecuting attorney, potentially undermining the case.
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The following evening, three legislators complained to me that several of these groups were actively undermining one another.
Verb
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Manucurist formulates its masks with panthenol, a form of vitamin B5, to hydrate and strengthen dry nails over time, reducing breakage.
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Even tiny electromagnetic disturbances can disrupt the quantum states that perform calculations, reducing the accuracy and reliability of the system.
Adjective
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The compounds in kratom show promise for their analgesic properties.
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The classic pisco sour is unmissable, as is the island cocktail made with pisco, eucalyptus syrup, and wild murta, a local antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic berry used by indigenous communities in traditional medicine and food.
Verb
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Goldman Sachs predicts a sustained dollar weakening in 2026, driven by fiscal concerns and shifting global asset demand, marking a structural shift rather than a cyclical dip.
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Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as a campaign to pressure Moscow to end the war by undermining its military logistics and supply lines and weakening its ability to mount assaults along the front.
Verb
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Blurring bamboo silk powders keep shine in check without dulling skin, while camellia seed oil and antioxidant-rich vitamin E help mature complexions look smooth, hydrated, and naturally luminous.
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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.
Adjective
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Here, the drive experience is rather anodyne, albeit entirely acceptable for a daily driver.
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Venture forth, ye viewers of strong will, into a seemingly anodyne furniture store in San Jose, California, circa 1990.
Verb
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And more than a decade into the LHC era, neither frontier has come close to exhausting its potential.
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That matters because unloading mixed freight can be exhausting work.
Cite this Entry
“Deadening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadening. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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