as in reducing
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
the mushy music blunted the effect of the movie's final tragic scene
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Recent Examples of blunting
Also, consumers often don’t receive all of the savings, blunting some of the financial and political purposes of the holiday.
—
Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026
This means many of his supporters already have mortgages with low rates or own their homes outright, possibly blunting the importance of housing as an issue.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
This means many of his supporters already have mortgages with low rates or own their homes outright, possibly blunting the importance of housing as an issue.
—Josh Boak, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
But earlier this week, a bipartisan group of senators worked to strike a compromise that could resurrect the enhanced ACA premium tax credits — potentially blunting the blow of rising monthly payments for Obamacare enrollees.
—Luke Garrett, NPR, 1 Jan. 2026
The shortfall stems from rising costs for the memory chips that go into computers, a jump which is blunting the benefits of a sales cycle for PCs.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who sits on the water authority’s board of directors, asked officials to gather more options for blunting the impact of rate hikes.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
Many shutdowns have largely played out over the weekend, blunting the impact, according to the CRFB.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
That action led the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to issue a landmark ruling in June blunting the power of judges.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026
This means many of his supporters already have mortgages with low rates or own their homes outright, possibly blunting the importance of housing as an issue.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
This means many of his supporters already have mortgages with low rates or own their homes outright, possibly blunting the importance of housing as an issue.
—Josh Boak, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
But earlier this week, a bipartisan group of senators worked to strike a compromise that could resurrect the enhanced ACA premium tax credits — potentially blunting the blow of rising monthly payments for Obamacare enrollees.
—Luke Garrett, NPR, 1 Jan. 2026
The shortfall stems from rising costs for the memory chips that go into computers, a jump which is blunting the benefits of a sales cycle for PCs.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who sits on the water authority’s board of directors, asked officials to gather more options for blunting the impact of rate hikes.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
Many shutdowns have largely played out over the weekend, blunting the impact, according to the CRFB.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
That action led the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to issue a landmark ruling in June blunting the power of judges.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blunting
Verb
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The departments of Commerce, Housing and Urban Development and Transportation, along with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, are instructed to eliminate regulations and update programs that are reducing residential development.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But the practical effect also meant that the entire second floor of the hotel was turned over to the pope, reducing its capacity for paying guests.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At Source puts seven years of joint practice and mutual magnetism to tape without dulling the dynamic buzz of their live sets.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
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Also, don't store beans or ground coffee in the refrigerator—the coffee may absorb moisture and odors, dulling its flavor.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Over time, your appliance builds up with minerals from hard water, such as calcium and magnesium, diminishing its ability to effectively clean your items.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
14 Mar. 2026
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The drumbeat for the diminishing prospects of the first-run syndication business has been growing louder over the past few years amid a shrinking marketplace.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the goal instead is regime weakening—enfeebling the Islamic Republic so the Iranian public could overwhelm it—there are two ways forward.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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Weak onshore flows will then return Saturday, which combined with a weakening high pressure system are expected to bring five to 10 degrees of cooling to the coasts and valleys but little change across interior sections, according to the weather service.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another suggestion was requiring special sound-deadening balls, currently available, that lower the decibel levels considerably.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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Both nationally and in Minnesota , there has been a shift away from intelligent discussion of public policy to endless partisan warfare with a deadening impact on the public.—
Arne Carlson,
Twin Cities,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After each set of waves, the control room would repeat the test, only with the turbulence-dampening software turned on this time.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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Currently, some of Europe’s best basketball teams (including Turkey’s Fenerbahçe Beko and Greece’s Olympiacos Piraeus) aren’t connected to its largest media markets, dampening ubiquitous continental interest in the sport and lowering its television value.—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blunting. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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