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

The combination also reduced the hazard of cancer spreading to distant sites or death by 38%.

— Mike McRae October 25, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
In Spain, modern farming methods have reduced the practice of transhumance to a small group of farmers that keep the tradition alive not just for its environmental benefits but also for its cultural value.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduced

Adjective

To live in truth here, now, today is to resist the forces that would like nothing more than to isolate, numb, and commodify us.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Halfway through my hands and feet went numb, then felt like fire, and then contorted into strange positions like lobster claws.

— Kate Berlant, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of numb

Verb

The primary effects generally wear off in less than an hour, but a person’s senses may remain dulled and their judgment and coordination impaired for several hours afterward.

— Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
Bikes like these would make a lot of sense from a sales perspective, considering the appeal of these models has never dulled in the motorcycle community.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of dulled

Adjective

The Rays bullpen was able to settle in, using seven total pitchers, but the Tampa offense was sound asleep until Liam Hicks and Chandler Simpson both doubled in the ninth for the Rays, making the score 4-1.

— Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2026
And those in power in LA and at the state level have been asleep at the wheel.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of asleep

Verb

Modern interceptor missile technology has advanced to the point where even massive, multi-tiered attacks can be blunted with a high degree of probability.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
The tension of Noah’s character, which Lanterns presents as a parallel to John’s, is immediately blunted by the show’s need to soften and resolve everything left uncertain in John’s.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of blunted

Verb

As long as men are in power, the United States will remain a patriarchy where the value of women is diminished, female victims are not believed and institutions aren’t held accountable.

— Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Lawmakers who oppose him risk public ridicule, primary challenges and diminished political support.

— Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminished

Verb

Black voter turnout surges Another factor working in Democrats' favor this election cycle is a surge in Black turnout following a Supreme Court decision that weakened part of the Voting Rights Act.

— Stephen Fowler, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Conditions were expected to improve Saturday afternoon as winds weakened, with fair and dry weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 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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benumb

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“Benumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbed. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of benumbed

adjective

verb

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