as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a succession of personal tragedies had benumbed him to all grief
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Recent Examples of benumb
Because both actors look like lumpish proletarian versions of Ingmar Bergman stars — Alma Pöysti, radiant yet benumbed, plays Ansa like a dish-towel Bibi Andersson, and Jussi Vatanen could be the schlump brother of Max von Sydow (with a dollop of Ryan Gosling).
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 May 2023
What’s destructive, and eventually benumbing, is the kitchen-sink clutter of fantasy, reality, wish-fulfillment and glib enchantment.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 24 Jan. 2019
But her core insight into how even mediocrities can be institutionally benumbed and conscripted into heinous projects remains fertile.
—George Prochnik, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2018
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 May 2023
What’s destructive, and eventually benumbing, is the kitchen-sink clutter of fantasy, reality, wish-fulfillment and glib enchantment.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 24 Jan. 2019
But her core insight into how even mediocrities can be institutionally benumbed and conscripted into heinous projects remains fertile.
—George Prochnik, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benumb
Verb
-
In the kitchen, ingredients are sourced locally to reduce carbon footprint and maintain freshness.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And then the steakhouse’s growth spurt dulled.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Despite running a mere 94 minutes, the film’s multiple threads are presented in a manner so outstretched their totality becomes dulled, as the inherent allure of the saga at large gradually wanes in energy.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By Mia Gindis and Alex Longley, Bloomberg Oil climbed in another volatile trading session as traders weighed whether an emergency release of crude reserves by wealthy nations would blunt the impact of escalating disruptions to Middle East supplies.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
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And are a lot of us eager to see Sabalenka try to add a big trophy to the new hardware on her ring finger—against, perhaps, Gauff, who at her best can blunt Sabalenka’s nuclear groundstrokes with her steady perseverance and wily strategy?—
Corey Seymour,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was born as a mechanism to numb their ambitions and sow division among the labor force in Hollywood.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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Symptoms can include a desire to tune out for a spell, stick your head in an ice bucket, or find another way to numb the senses.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Waddle’s production diminished the past three years because of myriad factors, including Tagovailoa’s regression, some drops by Waddle and Hill commanding more targets before his September injury last year.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
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Israel’s indie film industry is diminished, squeezed between endless conflict, global boycotts over Gaza and defunding threats from the country’s right-wing government, and hopes are slim for a presence in Cannes this year.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When presidents sidestep formal addresses and Congress declines to insist upon them, the deliberative architecture of the republic weakens.—
Kenneth Zagacki,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
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High supply and weakening renter demand have apartment landlords living in an ever-more competitive space.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Merrill had the same impulse—the need to become a self not necessarily free of all that money could buy but not crippled or deadened by it, either.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
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The evening signaled that this is not the type of show that will deaden an artist behind glass vitrines.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Robinhood’s stock fell 90% in 2022 as the meme stock mania subsided and then flatlined.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Her depression subsided not long after.—
Jamie Ducharme,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Benumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumb. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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