1
as in sedative
something (as a drug) that relieves pain
the dentist waited until the anesthetic took effect
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of anesthetic
Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
SonoBello in Beverly Hills helps clients downsize in just one visit with just a local anesthetic, employing a technique called TriSculpt.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
That’s either an epidural, which involves receiving anesthetic meds via a catheter (a.k.a. tiny tube) inserted next to your spinal cord, or a spinal block, which is a single shot of numbing drugs directly into your cerebrospinal fluid.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for anesthetic
Noun
There is not much to say about that misadventure, other than that some people still haven’t gotten the memo about dissociative anesthetics and bathtubs.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
SonoBello in Beverly Hills helps clients downsize in just one visit with just a local anesthetic, employing a technique called TriSculpt.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
After his death in 2009 of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol, Paris and her two brothers – who go by Prince, 28, and Bigi, 23 – went to live with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
That’s either an epidural, which involves receiving anesthetic meds via a catheter (a.k.a. tiny tube) inserted next to your spinal cord, or a spinal block, which is a single shot of numbing drugs directly into your cerebrospinal fluid.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for anesthetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anesthetic
Noun
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That specific request was made because those three drugs combine to make BAM, a powerful animal sedative that authorities allege Barry used to kill his wife.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Florida’s lethal injections are carried out with a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Jailhouse records show that Smith was disciplined at least five times between 2010 and 2017 for infractions including self-mutilation, drug use and possession of narcotics or marijuana.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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According to one House Democrat, lawmakers were told the narcotics being targeted in the shipments were cocaine, not fentanyl.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
He was driven by the ambition to design the most potent narcotic analgesic possible.—
Jahan Marcu,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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Even in the analgesic study, where traditional scales often failed or even showed misleading results (for example, participants reporting more pain after receiving an analgesic), the monetary measures correctly and significantly detected differences.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After ambushing Fuller at her mansion, Teddy and his accomplice/cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) knock her unconscious with a tranquilizer and load her into the backseat of her own car.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
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After that incident, the department changed its approach and shot the remaining three adults with tranquilizer darts rather than a firearm, then euthanized them on the ground with injections of the type a sick animal might receive when being put to sleep by a veterinarian.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That was my first experience with opiates.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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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
Adjective
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The drink is known for its mild euphoria and depressant effects.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Balle’s prose—repetitive, hypnotic, and as balanced as a small plane—sustains an atmosphere of illuminated ordinariness.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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While romance is built into the Gothic nature of the tale, the erotic appeal of Frankenstein is not as obvious as that of Dracula, with his hypnotic stare and eternal devotion.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anesthetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anesthetic. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
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