as in numbed
lacking in sensation or feeling
my benumbed ears took a few minutes to warm up after the frigid air outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reduced
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a succession of personal tragedies had benumbed him to all grief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benumbed
Adjective
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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
Verb
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Disney reduced its outlay by selling regional sports networks and other assets, but the deal left the company with significant debt just before COVID-19 hit.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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By designing the computing architecture differently, the company reduced that down to 17 in its first-generation R1 vehicles and then to seven in the second generation.—
Robert Ferris,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Following a lip lift, swelling and bruising can last two to three weeks and the area may feel firm, tight, tingly, or numb for up to three months.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2026
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Body tissue is damaged, and extremities like fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of the nose can become numb and appear white or pale.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The men were loose-brained now, dulled by aguardiente and whatever narcotic Grejo had shot into himself, but the morning sun might deliver a hard-nosed clarity, the kind that could get Adi killed.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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The tool is a soft-hammer retoucher — a specialized tool used to sharpen dulled flint handaxes.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
To his right, his friend Will is asleep in the aisle seat; to his left is his ex Lucy, watching tv.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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The bus driver was asleep at the wheel, and the drag queens in the back were driving the season.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Anyone who follows Texas knows that defense and taking care of the ball are the cornerstones of this program, and while the Horns did force the Gamecocks into a bounty of miscues, their own missteps blunted a great chance to get a bounce-back after losing 70-65 at LSU on Sunday.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Jan. 2026
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But even those findings haven’t blunted the video’s explosive impact.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The practice of fascism supersedes its ideas, which is why people affected and diminished by it are not all that interested in a marketplace of ideas in which fascists have prime purchasing power.—
Aleksandar Hemon,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Reduced star ratings result in lower reimbursement and diminished capacity to provide attractive benefits to draw in members.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Demand weakened most sharply in Europe.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
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In Lebanon, the once formidable Hezbollah has been significantly weakened after 13 months of conflict with Israel and now faces a domestic disarmament campaign.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Benumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbed. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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