as in numbs
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a succession of personal tragedies had benumbed him to all grief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benumbs
Verb
-
Polarity numbs himself with alcohol and can’t be bothered with God U’s suspicious new Dean, aptly named Cipher (Hamish Linklater).—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains some sugar, but fermentation reduces how much your body actually absorbs.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
18 Oct. 2025
-
People who were gestating during the famine grew up to have smaller brains; their kidneys had fewer nephrons, which reduces the organs’ effectiveness.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Using too much detergent can lead to residue buildup in the towel fibers, which traps dirt and dulls the white color over time.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The only thing that occasionally dulls his pain is opioid use, as the British prison has a thriving drug-trading industry involving a variety of goods and services.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At the risk of over-generalizing, as the protein content of a drink rises, its deliciousness diminishes.—
Adam Campbell-Schmitt,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Coleman also pushed back against the notion that enthusiasm for AI diminishes the value of human work.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The rising intolerance that results erodes social cohesion, undermines support for democratic norms and weakens trust in institutions.—
Andrew Rojecki,
The Conversation,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Blocking them causes disruption to the cells’ energy-generating mitochondria and leads to oxidative stress, which further weakens cancer.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Luckily for them, the Carolina Panthers have even further to go on defense, which dampens the exciting second half of the season produced by QB Bryce Young and the offense.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Persistently high unemployment in California not only strains unemployment insurance and social services but also dampens consumer confidence, posing risks to the stability of the nation's largest state economy.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Their base case assumes that recovery will resume once uncertainty subsides.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
For example, a few kids experience increased hyperactivity or irritability in the first couple of weeks, but that typically subsides within a month.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
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
“Benumbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbs. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share