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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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
Verb
-
Bayard has a point in critiquing the attitude which maintains that engagement with literature can basically be reduced to an itinerary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
The stadium typically operates at a capacity crowd of around 67,500 for NFL games, but that will be slightly reduced to approximately 65,827 for the World Cup.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Florida woman said her arm went numb and her face began to droop.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
The steering, however, is numb and the handling is competent but uninspiring.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
His helmet was not matte black, after all, but scratched up and dulled by dings and scuffings.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
Its poster seems to capture the group’s anarchic spirit, proving that age hasn’t dulled their rebel yell.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Especially if the human is asleep or an infant.—
Caroline Rose Giuliani,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
The children, Athena Lee, 5, and Mateo Lee, 4, were asleep as the long, complex operation to capture their father Sunday evening reached its end in Baja.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
This one serves up a hint of sweetness with apple cider vinegar, blunted by dry and Dijon mustards.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
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Across the country — and much of the Gulf — there is a palpable sense of pride in how the armed forces blunted the damage from thousands of Iranian missile and drone strikes.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Another theory suggests regulatory changes in China a few years ago appear to have diminished the availability of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.—
Mike Stobbe,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
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The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Verb
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However, when the researchers adjusted the findings for other factors that can affect risk for the conditions, known as confounders — such as genetic and familial influences and the reasons for taking antidepressants — most links significantly weakened or disappeared.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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Starmer’s authority weakened after Labor’s poor performance in recent elections, blamed on policy missteps, economic struggles, and the prime minister’s controversial decisions, including appointing an ambassador with ties to Jeffrey Epstein.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Benumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbed. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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