as in reduces
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blunts
By this decade, your body has started to naturally lose muscle mass, and putting on new muscle may be more difficult due to anabolic resistance, which blunts the muscle’s ability to respond to external stimuli like exercise and protein.
—
Emma Loewe, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
For Sanders, landing and holding a blue-chip defensive back during a losing season is a massive recruiting win that blunts any narratives of recruits fleeing the program.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
For Singh, Stargate blunts the essence of the Clayton Act by potentially eliminating competition down the road.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025
Emma Loewe, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
For Sanders, landing and holding a blue-chip defensive back during a losing season is a massive recruiting win that blunts any narratives of recruits fleeing the program.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
For Singh, Stargate blunts the essence of the Clayton Act by potentially eliminating competition down the road.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blunts
Verb
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Embracing this practice also means having open conversations about long‑term care, powers of attorney, and estate plans before they’re needed; the kind of groundwork that gives families confidence and reduces stress when life inevitably shifts.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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The company claims this reduces model drift, simplifies compliance, and lowers operational overhead.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Insisting on noninterference, Beijing offers foreign leaders capital and legitimacy without requiring transparency, human rights safeguards, or competitive elections—a model that strengthens incumbents and dulls democratic accountability.—
JANE HARMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Nov. 2025
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None of that dulls the original game, nor its portrayal of Alma.—
Will Borger,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This is the type of consistency that numbs fans from their love of the game.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
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Cold water immersion constricts blood vessels, reduces swelling, numbs sore areas, and flushes lactic acid from the muscles.—
Outside,
Outside,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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As data center revenue starts to dominate sales, hyperscale ASIC initiatives transition into sustained volume, and customer diversification diminishes earnings variability, Marvell begins to resemble less of a cyclical component supplier and more of a structural AI infrastructure platform.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The biography is presented as a clear-eyed and evenhanded examination of Reid’s complex legacy that neither whitewashes his methods nor diminishes his accomplishments.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When CEOs treat financial advice as a substitute for judgment, leadership starts to erode, decisions slow down, and conviction weakens.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s focus on the Western Hemisphere — as a show of might that weakens China’s geostrategic influence, Nikkei wrote.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Recession risk dampens the confidence for big purchases, even if mortgage math improves.—
John Walkup,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Snow also dampens the sound and may slightly reduce the danger compared to a typical thunderstorm.—
Brandi D. Addison,
IndyStar,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Taking this into account, the probability of the event occurring under the alternative hypothesis decreases, making that scenario less likely.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
24 Jan. 2026
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Reduce watering during the winter as growth decreases, and increase humidity by using a humidifier.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blunts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blunts. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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