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
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The goal of this prescribed burn is to decrease the existing fire hazard and to prevent and reduce the impact of future fires in the area.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Keeping yourself hydrated and reducing your salt intake may also help reduce bloating and help your body rid itself of excess fluid. Types of Creatine Several types of creatine are used in supplements.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The clarity might improve, but the spark—the particular cadence of someone’s thinking, the messy brilliance of their raw insight—can get dulled in translation.—
Rhea Wessel,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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The intentionally half-baked approach to Season 2 foreshadows an overstuffed and potentially controversial third season, the emotional effect of which will be dulled by the likely long hiatus (Season 1 premiered in January 2023).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Survivors also had higher blood pressure but a lower heart rate in response to trauma cues, suggesting that their trauma response had become blunted over the years.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Apr. 2025
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Combine with intention: Pairing caffeine with L-theanine, fats (like MCT oil) or nutrient-dense meals can blunt its intensity and prolong its effects.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Instead of compartmentalizing, try to identify and sit with discomfort rather than numbing it.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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After a series of trials with ether, Morton conducted a public demonstration, which successfully numbed the patient’s pain and marked a major breakthrough in medical practice.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, a more constrained and domestically focused healthcare agenda is likely to diminish trust in federal health agencies, limit access to culturally competent care and produce a loss of global leadership in health innovation.—
Robert Pearl,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Whereas a decline in home values diminishes the equity investors might hold in their properties, which limits their ability to leverage assets for additional investments or refinancing opportunities.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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By studying the images, engineers can confirm and enhance the sonic-boom-deadening properties for the XB-1's airframe.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
3 Mar. 2025
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Lightweight glass, a reduction of sound-deadening materials, and the marginally lighter 6-speed manual gearbox help the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet weigh 3,505 pounds—the company's lightest manual open-roof variant.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But much of that has subsided now; the Steelers, after all, don’t have a second-round pick and trading up could be out of the question as a result.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2025
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While immediate inflation concerns have subsided, the current administration's aggressive tariff and immigration policies are creating new economic anxieties that could lead to future instability.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumb. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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