as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a succession of personal tragedies had benumbed him to all grief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Its hypergolic propellant allows the missile to remain fueled for extended periods, reducing launch prep to minutes.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
-
For inmates already on a hormone-replacement regimen, BOP will consider placing them on a taper plan that gradually reduces their dosage at a safe withdrawal pace.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Considerations Before Getting Started Protect your table’s shine and clarity by avoiding harsh chemicals and abrasive scrubbing tools that cause tiny scratches, which dull the glass over time.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Cold water, on the other hand, is said to dull this fire and slow digestion and should be avoided.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Sticking to 400 mg of caffeine per day and drinking coffee with food or after a protein-rich meal may help blunt blood sugar spikes.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even after four years of trauma that should numb, shock is still palpable.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
After ensuring the donor area is properly numbed, the medical team will remove individual hair grafts one by one with tiny punches.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Extensive research shows that insufficient sleep is associated with impaired cognitive function, chronic health problems, diminished productivity and an increase in traffic accidents, just to name a few.—
Stephen Neely,
The Conversation,
3 Mar. 2026
-
One concern is cognitive offloading, in which decision-makers defer too readily to algorithmic recommendations, effectively diminishing human accountability for strategic choices.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Although weakened, the factions still survive, and could form a powerful, transnational and motivated insurgency when the time comes to fight whatever emerges if the Islamic Republic falls.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Several bills that had been filed in the state Senate and House of Representatives, which critics have warned would weaken reporting and training standards for the Department of Child and Family Services, have been put on hold, according to state officials.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Winds were predicted to subside in the evening hours on Saturday before picking back up on Sunday morning, albeit at lower speeds than Saturday morning.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The settling of chairs subsided, people shifted into comfortable postures, some laid out on the carpet.—
Sofia Zarran,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Benumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumb. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
