BENUMBED Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

benumbed 1 of 2

adjective

as in numbed

lacking in sensation or feeling my benumbed ears took a few minutes to warm up after the frigid air outside

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benumbed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of benumb

as in reduced

to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling a succession of personal tragedies had benumbed him to all grief

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for benumbed

Adjective

When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 Oct. 2025

Definition of numbed

Verb

Brent crude oil prices paused in early trading on Tuesday after gaining in the previous session following a drone attack on an oil pipeline pumping station in Russia that reduced flows from Kazakhstan.

— Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Promise a rebate to every taxpayer when the size and cost of government is reduced.

— Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of reduced

Adjective

On one Anderson sack late in the first quarter, Allen kicked his feet in agony and later revealed the hit made his left arm go numb.

— Tim Graham, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
When the old man dies, her numb reaction appears caught between grief and relief, though her two adult sons show little understanding of her emotional state.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of numb

Adjective

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Krishnamoorthi cited an NBC News investigation that identified 43 videos appearing to show individuals asleep in the driver’s seat of moving Teslas, including 17 posted this year alone.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026
Like Harvey, Williams was asleep when she was awakened by a phone call from her husband, who was out of town.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of asleep

Verb

Know More There’s plenty of history to look back on for House Democrats who worry that a favorable political climate could get blunted by last-minute GOP spending.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026
There’s a nice bitter chocolate flavor that’s blunted perfectly by the brownies’ delicate sweetness.

— Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of blunted

Verb

Beyond that, sharpening a feel for when the initial danger has diminished should help the quarterback find a little extra time and space to reset and attack.

— Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Foreign central banks and other institutions looking for a safe place to park their capital have diminished roles in the Treasury market and have increasingly turned to alternative havens like gold.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of diminished

Verb

Economic data for July showed retail sales and urban investment both weakened, adding to pressure on Beijing to step up support for the remainder of the year.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
This view suggests that the sense of shame was collectively weakened by a series of self-interested actors who shattered the social firmament and opened up the gates to chaos.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of weakened

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.

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“Benumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbed. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of benumbed

adjective

verb

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