1
as in sedative
something (as a drug) that relieves pain
the dentist waited until the anesthetic took effect
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in narcotic
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security
he used total immersion in his job as an anesthetic for the empty shell that his marriage had become
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in analgesic
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anesthetic
Marni Rose McFall Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
Contributing conditions included the administration of multiple anesthetic medications.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 30 May 2025
New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2025
Surprisingly, scientists only recently learned how anesthetics trigger unconsciousness.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anesthetic
Noun
The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said that Musk had sparked concerns about his alleged regular use of multiple drugs, including anesthetic ketamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms.
—Marni Rose McFall Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
Contributing conditions included the administration of multiple anesthetic medications.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 30 May 2025
Adjective
It is implanted in the left side of the neck via a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, under anesthetic.
—New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2025
Surprisingly, scientists only recently learned how anesthetics trigger unconsciousness.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anesthetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anesthetic
Noun
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Yet, unlike cortisol, oxytocin will have an effect on your body akin to that of a sedative.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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Didn't go to the hospital just took Benadryl [antihistamine and sedative] for about two weeks.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Washington has increasingly tied its counter-narcotics push to its broader campaign against the Maduro government.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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Court records show that a majority of Stevenson's arrests are related to the unlawful possession of a firearm or narcotics.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An analgesic medication that works in the brain to reduce mild to moderate pain by increasing the body’s pain threshold and changing the way the body senses pain.—
Dr. Sanjay Gupta,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 2025
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This analgesic effect can be particularly beneficial after strenuous activities.—
Emily Peck,
Wired News,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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Only when Teddy pins her down long enough to inject a tranquilizer is Michelle finally subdued.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The drink is known for its mild euphoria and depressant effects.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 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
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
Adjective
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The kitchen needs to turn out three meals a day that are creative enough to draw in finicky locals, anodyne enough to satisfy an international clientele, and sturdy enough to survive the room-service gauntlet.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
31 Aug. 2025
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Even Coldplay’s anodyne frontman Chris Martin couldn’t ignore their response.—
Steven Levy,
Wired News,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anesthetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anesthetic. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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