1
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress
some therapists believe that certain scents can have a narcotic effect on people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep
the lecturer droned on in a narcotic monotone that eventually had the entire class struggling to stay awake
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in opiate
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security
an irradicable sense of self-righteousness seems to be the narcotic that inures these religious fanatics from any realization of the harm they have done
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Recent Examples of narcotic
Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
He was charged with possession of a narcotic drug, possession of a legend drug, resisting law enforcement and refusal to provide information or a driver's license.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 8 Aug. 2025
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Trump has asserted the vessel was carrying narcotics from Venezuela and headed to the United States.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for narcotic
Adjective
Drug/narcotic violations made up for more than half of the crimes against society, with police reporting 173 incidents in the first half of 2025.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
He was charged with possession of a narcotic drug, possession of a legend drug, resisting law enforcement and refusal to provide information or a driver's license.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
This time, Maduro is putting tens of thousands of troops into coastal and border regions, presenting the buildup as a proactive move to confront narcotics networks.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Trump has asserted the vessel was carrying narcotics from Venezuela and headed to the United States.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for narcotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narcotic
Adjective
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And just hanging out with a couple of my close friends and my dogs and going somewhere fun and relaxing, or even just going to the movies.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The main level sports a spacious, open layout, with several distinct spaces for both entertaining and relaxing.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For a generation whose existence is mostly, if not entirely, lived through devices, peering through the hypnotic glow of their phone screens at a picture-in-picture playback of the events unfolding in front of them is an extension, or even an evolution, of the experience.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
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The film is a mess, opaque in its argument and tiring in its effortful weirdness, and yet in its best moments has a hypnotic pull.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These chemicals can be even more potent than other opiates and produce comparable hallucinogenic effects, increasing the desirability of the cut fentanyl on the market.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
4 Sep. 2025
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Boston Magazine reported that during her training she was ultimately dismissed for administering opiates without a doctor’s order and leaving her shift early.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Jacintha, a horseback rider, was familiar with ketamine as a horse tranquilizer but had never heard of it as a last-stop mental health treatment for treatment-resistant patients like Lucy, who was diagnosed with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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The program tests for various drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and other opioids, as well as xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that authorities have warned is increasingly being found mixed in with other drugs.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Other factors include the level of inflammation and how quickly anesthetics work.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Schultz also slow-walked the trial use of the fast-acting anesthetic ketamine by paramedics, who were able to administer only four doses in six months under his stewardship.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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They’re placed on or next to the body and struck with a mallet to release a calming vibration and mellifluous tone that eases muscles, sparking an immediately soothing effect on the nervous system and improving synaptic responses in the brain.—
Terry Elward,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Whatever the manifestation—hair-tucking, shorts-pulling, ball-bouncing, bobbing, pocket-checking, or something else entirely—the familiarity of these motions can have a soothing effect, calming the player’s nerves before a big shot.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Then complement it with a refreshing fattoush salad or one of our comforting homestyle stews, which reflect the heart of our kitchen.—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, Mary’s mother, Cora, remains a stalwart and comforting presence.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Kratom has both stimulant and sedative effects, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 2025
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There were also drops in binge drinking, lower scores on alcohol use disorder tests, and reductions in both the stimulating and sedative effects of alcohol.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Narcotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narcotic. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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