blunting

verb

present participle of blunt
as in reducing
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling the mushy music blunted the effect of the movie's final tragic scene

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of blunting Alaska could either add to the Democrats' majority, or deliver some relief to Republicans by blunting additional Democratic gains. — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026 In theory, the clearinghouse would monitor the speed of AI growth without blunting the nation’s competitive advantage. — John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026 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 Greg Jaffe and Kate Kelly Politicians and officials in Mexico are using the country’s laws to intimidate critics and the media, forcing them into censorship and blunting scrutiny. — Kate Kelly Vincent Alban Paulina Villegas Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 21 June 2026 The body adapts to the daily dose, blunting caffeine’s impact on blood pressure, mental alertness and exercise performance. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026 Quality drops around menstruation as estrogen and progesterone fall, blunting melatonin and cortisol rhythms. — Allison Palmer updated June 13, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026 Simple steps like version pinning or requiring a cool-down period before new library releases are available to developers can go a very long way toward blunting the supply chain attacks that are about to become far more common. — Philip Martin, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blunting
  1. reducing
  2. dulling
  3. diminishing
  4. weakening
  5. deadening
  6. dampening
Verb
  • The new councilmember will face pressure to increase revenue and cut costs without reducing access to city services or compromising their quality.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The legislation would give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission greater authority over cryptocurrency trading while reducing the Securities and Exchange Commission's role in overseeing certain digital assets.
    — Mike Winters, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • Essentially, the toothpaste gently smooths the area around the scratch, dulling its appearance—much like a gentle polish.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Extreme weather events, such as drought or heavy rainfall, also stress trees and can trigger them to rapidly protect themselves by more rapidly pulling in the chlorophyll from their leaves, dulling fall colors.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dulling
Verb
  • Everybody raves about the myriad of health benefits that comes along with dry brushing—from physically exfoliating your skin and eliminating strawberry skin to increasing blood flow and potentially diminishing the appearance of circulation.
    — Hannah Coates, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2026
  • There is no denying that Trump’s efforts in Iran are diminishing his party’s chances of retaining Congress.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminishing
Verb
  • The victory came after a Republican redistricting effort aimed at weakening Latino voting power backfired.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • And the indicators tell you whether those conditions are strengthening or weakening.
    — Allison Mais, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • Inside the cabin, extensive additional sound deadening in the doors, trunk and wheel arches means phone calls and passenger conversations are entirely effortless at highway speeds.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of deadening
Verb
  • The Iran war sparked a rise of inflation earlier this year, squeezing household budgets and dampening consumer sentiment.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Results also favored Democrats in statewide races for governor and attorney general and the party scored key victories in a slew of state legislature contests, significantly dampening Republicans’ grip on Topeka politics.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of dampening

Browse Nearby Words

blunted
blunting
bluntly
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Cite this Entry

“Blunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blunting. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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