as in deadening
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in reducing
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 benumbing
Verb
-
The price tag comes from the California State Auditor’s report that was issued last fall, which found that maintaining similar telework policies could potentially save $225 million annually by reducing the government’s office space footprint.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026 -
An April 2026 analysis identified 446 hospitals across 44 states at high risk of closing or reducing services because of Medicaid funding cuts.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
The result can appear not only as exhaustion, but also irritability, decreased concentration, emotional numbing, sleep disruption, and heightened anxiety.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Now after four years of ongoing horrors in Ukraine, and more than two years of watching slaughter and suffering in Gaza, the latest war filling our feeds is just another numbing form of content, a digital arena in which competing forces try to assert conflicting viewpoints.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.—
Dave Montrose,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
-
Another suggestion was requiring special sound-deadening balls, currently available, that lower the decibel levels considerably.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Yale researchers specifically have noted that deeper anesthetic states may contribute to postoperative cognitive problems, particularly among older adults and patients with preexisting medical conditions.—
Dr. John Guzzi,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2026
-
The album’s ideal love is anesthetic, a script for surviving daily chaos and tragedy that doesn’t require reciprocation.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At some point, the bracket creep is going to overreach into the point of diminishing marginal returns — dulling regular seasons and perhaps ultimately even eventually interest in the postseasons.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 May 2026
-
Glycolic acid removes dead, dulling surface cells to reveal more radiant skin and help vitamin C penetrate skin more effectively.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The compounds in kratom show promise for their analgesic properties.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
The classic pisco sour is unmissable, as is the island cocktail made with pisco, eucalyptus syrup, and wild murta, a local antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic berry used by indigenous communities in traditional medicine and food.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Simple steps like version pinning or requiring a cool-down period before new library releases are available to developers can go a very long way toward blunting the supply chain attacks that are about to become far more common.—
Philip Martin,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
-
South Africa’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in three years, in effect blunting a $1 billion fuel relief package designed to soften the blow of surging oil prices.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Individuals who remain in the class and submit valid claims release their rights to sue Cargill or Tyson over the same allegations, but retain any rights against non-settling defendants.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Benumbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbing. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
