as in blunt
lacking sharpness of edge or point
the blunted saw was worthless for fine woodworking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
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
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Across the country — and much of the Gulf — there is a palpable sense of pride in how the armed forces blunted the damage from thousands of Iranian missile and drone strikes.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Queta dominated this same 76ers team back in March (27 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks), but fouling issues have blunted his impact so far in this series.
—Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
Some research suggests that people in states of chronic burnout may actually have blunted cortisol levels, not elevated.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Apr. 2026
Sitting in with a five-man defence, along with two defensive midfielders in Romeo Lavia and Moises Caiceido, meant that any effort to press high up the pitch was inevitably blunted.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Matriarchy is a force that protects and defends, a force blunted and downgraded at every turn.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Like the Olivieri men before him, he had been bound to a menu item that filled him with pride yet blunted his ambitions.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
Hormel is down 27% over the past year, and its 5% dividend yield hasn’t blunted the decline.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The results have been impressive enough from far away, but examined more closely as a blunted, external force, Big Brother has almost always been too literal in horror cinema.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
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
This one serves up a hint of sweetness with apple cider vinegar, blunted by dry and Dijon mustards.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Across the country — and much of the Gulf — there is a palpable sense of pride in how the armed forces blunted the damage from thousands of Iranian missile and drone strikes.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Queta dominated this same 76ers team back in March (27 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks), but fouling issues have blunted his impact so far in this series.
—Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
Some research suggests that people in states of chronic burnout may actually have blunted cortisol levels, not elevated.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Apr. 2026
Sitting in with a five-man defence, along with two defensive midfielders in Romeo Lavia and Moises Caiceido, meant that any effort to press high up the pitch was inevitably blunted.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Matriarchy is a force that protects and defends, a force blunted and downgraded at every turn.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Like the Olivieri men before him, he had been bound to a menu item that filled him with pride yet blunted his ambitions.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
Hormel is down 27% over the past year, and its 5% dividend yield hasn’t blunted the decline.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blunted
Adjective
-
Asked if the best players have to be better, Dahlin offered a blunt response in the locker room after the game.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The slick creatures, with their blunt heads and whiskers, are sometimes easy to spot in the water, but the restaurants that have perfected eating them are a bit harder to find.—
Chelsea Brasted,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Bayard has a point in critiquing the attitude which maintains that engagement with literature can basically be reduced to an itinerary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
The stadium typically operates at a capacity crowd of around 67,500 for NFL games, but that will be slightly reduced to approximately 65,827 for the World Cup.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
His helmet was not matte black, after all, but scratched up and dulled by dings and scuffings.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
Its poster seems to capture the group’s anarchic spirit, proving that age hasn’t dulled their rebel yell.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Another theory suggests regulatory changes in China a few years ago appear to have diminished the availability of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.—
Mike Stobbe,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Verb
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However, when the researchers adjusted the findings for other factors that can affect risk for the conditions, known as confounders — such as genetic and familial influences and the reasons for taking antidepressants — most links significantly weakened or disappeared.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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Starmer’s authority weakened after Labor’s poor performance in recent elections, blamed on policy missteps, economic struggles, and the prime minister’s controversial decisions, including appointing an ambassador with ties to Jeffrey Epstein.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Once his symptoms subsided, he was transferred to another room, and at least 50 people lined the hallways and cheered him on during the move.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
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Although fighting largely subsided weeks ago, the Strait of Hormuz, remains blocked.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The furor has dampened the festivities of the normally high-camp, joyful, gaudy extravaganza, in which acts representing different, mostly European countries each perform a song, competing to be crowned the winner after a public and jury vote.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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Then wipe the top and bottom of each blade with a microfiber cloth dampened with all-purpose cleaner.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
In 2024, that decreased to 20 percent.—
Ashley Wu,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
School enrollment numbers have decreased markedly in Connecticut in the past two years.—
Sasha Allen,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blunted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blunted. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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