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
-
Kentucky and Utah have reduced levies.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
In many ways, Kris aches to be reduced to such simple matter, to strip away all of her heady anxiety and surrender to basic want.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The steering, however, is numb and the handling is competent but uninspiring.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 May 2026
-
Wayans also experienced foot pain, numb toes, delirium and blurry vision.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The researchers positioned intuitive attunement as something that gets dulled by painful experience and reclaimed through healing.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Others report their taste buds feeling dulled.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the underlying mechanism is well-established — a landmark 1999 study in Nature found foot vasodilation was the single strongest physiological predictor of how quickly someone falls asleep.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
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Guests are encouraged to fall asleep during the session — making rest itself the treatment.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Verb
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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 16 May. 2026.
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