as in blunt
lacking sharpness of edge or point
the blunted saw was worthless for fine woodworking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reduced
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
the mushy music blunted the effect of the movie's final tragic scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blunted
Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Flat, calm but earnest, mildly anxious, blunted, volatile.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
The partisan edge in the election-year vote was blunted by 14 Republicans joining 96 Democrats in approving the contract on a 110-31 vote.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
The agreement approved by Hawk on Friday heads off what prosecutors described as the risk of the conviction being vacated by a higher court, and the subsequent prospect of a new trial that hinges on records, evidence, and witness availability blunted by the passing of four decades.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
Those arguments have blunted voter enthusiasm for ballot measures to increase corporate taxes before, according to Baldassare.
—Sacbee.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Closer cooperation between North Korea, Russia and China has blunted sanctions pressure and reduced the incentive for compromise.
—Karishma Vaswani, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
There's a nice bitter chocolate flavor that's blunted perfectly by the brownies' delicate sweetness.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Anyone who follows Texas knows that defense and taking care of the ball are the cornerstones of this program, and while the Horns did force the Gamecocks into a bounty of miscues, their own missteps blunted a great chance to get a bounce-back after losing 70-65 at LSU on Sunday.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026
Some of those efforts have been blunted because schools are funded by property taxes, and some of them just don’t have the revenue to pay for these add-ons without federal support.
—Sheneka Williams, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Orientation matters; garlic is planted vertically, with the root (blunted) end of the clove facing down, and the sprout (pointy) end facing up.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Flat, calm but earnest, mildly anxious, blunted, volatile.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
For now, some of those near-term increases have been blunted some by Americans’ tax refunds; however, that’s not an endless well.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
The partisan edge in the election-year vote was blunted by 14 Republicans joining 96 Democrats in approving the contract on a 110-31 vote.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
The agreement approved by Hawk on Friday heads off what prosecutors described as the risk of the conviction being vacated by a higher court, and the subsequent prospect of a new trial that hinges on records, evidence, and witness availability blunted by the passing of four decades.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
Those arguments have blunted voter enthusiasm for ballot measures to increase corporate taxes before, according to Baldassare.
—Sacbee.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Closer cooperation between North Korea, Russia and China has blunted sanctions pressure and reduced the incentive for compromise.
—Karishma Vaswani, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
There's a nice bitter chocolate flavor that's blunted perfectly by the brownies' delicate sweetness.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Anyone who follows Texas knows that defense and taking care of the ball are the cornerstones of this program, and while the Horns did force the Gamecocks into a bounty of miscues, their own missteps blunted a great chance to get a bounce-back after losing 70-65 at LSU on Sunday.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026
Some of those efforts have been blunted because schools are funded by property taxes, and some of them just don’t have the revenue to pay for these add-ons without federal support.
—Sheneka Williams, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blunted
Adjective
-
The bluntest assessment of Republican failures during this week's elections in Wisconsin came from one of their own.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The bluntest assessment of Republican failures during this week’s elections in Wisconsin came from one of their own.—
Scott Bauer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An appeals court sided with Sacramento in the second case, and the planning area was ultimately reduced.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
For Wiggins, as with his teammates, now reduced to hope.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Though there was a thrilling edge to their early work—the lightning-in-a-bottle sample drill of Polo Perks and Moh Baretta, that spine-tingling Pasto Flocco run—it’s been dulled a bit in favor of ambling minimalism.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In recent weeks, the vibe inside the arena has been dulled, with bad basketball, little star power and no effervescent Curry.—
Sports Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Atkins also was diminished during the latter part of the season by a calf strain, which sidelined her for several weeks.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
None of this has diminished the ambition of the budget’s spending side.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed weakened rules governing the safe disposal of ash produced by burning coal.—
Michael Phillis,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But these strengths are being weakened by leadership that has failed to prioritize affordability and competitiveness.—
Randy Altschuler,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2020, Bad Robot capitalized on another moment in time to strike a megabucks renewal deal with WBTV — but momentum has observably subsided within the once-utopian Bad Robot offices (complete with a private chef and movie stars working in residence).—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The early swell of activity has subsided into a more manageable drumbeat of visitors, according to the Wildlands Conservancy, which owns and manages the preserve.—
Gregory Thomas,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After cleaning, use a second cloth dampened with plain water to wipe away any leftover soap.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Within any chimp group, violence flares occasionally — but it is usually dampened by long friendships.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Adding in exercise was linked with a 46% decreased risk of death from any cause, according to the study.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The less experienced Tyler Kolek’s playing time decreased as well as the squad returned to full health.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blunted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blunted. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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