benumbing 1 of 2

adjective

as in deadening

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benumbing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of benumb
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
  1. numbing
  2. reducing
  3. anesthetic
  4. deadening
  5. analgesic
  6. dulling
  7. settling
  8. blunting
Adjective
  • Jane Schoenbrun’s latest movie, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, is shocking, emotional, provocative, numbing, warm, witty, and surreal.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a documentary that implicitly honors these incredible doctors, but more acutely leverages their plight to address the numbing exasperation that such an atrocity is designed to instill among otherwise good people.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of numbing
Verb
  • China, too, has relied heavily on its own massive oil stockpiles, while simultaneously drastically reducing its crude imports.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • That’s the international initiative aimed at reducing the number of severe injury and fatal crashes to zero.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of reducing
Adjective
  • Because of their large size, giraffes are challenging to move and position appropriately for anesthetic procedures.
    — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 17 July 2026
  • Because there is a depersonalized, anesthetic quality to it.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026
Definition of anesthetic
Verb
  • Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of deadening
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
Definition of analgesic
Verb
  • To protect himself, however, Trask has created an inhibitor field that de-powers any mutant nearby, dulling Wolverine’s healing power and ferocity.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Here are the cleaning mistakes that could be dulling your hardwood floors’ shine, as well as the simple fixes to restore their finish.
    — Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of dulling
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
Definition of settling
Verb
  • The law is aimed at blunting financial scams that often target older adults, which frequently include prompting victims to withdraw large sums of money at once.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Semaglutide can hook into this system, blunting the usual pleasure from eating high-fat and sugary treats.
    — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of blunting
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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Cite this Entry

“Benumbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbing. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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