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
The cinematography drains vitality from even its most visually obvious ideas with lighting that blunts the impact of nearly every other department.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blunts
Verb
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This ceiling reduces the effective tax benefit from 37% to 35%.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
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This approach reduces the chance of a single point of failure bringing down an entire system and ensures appropriate AI boundaries that keep human intelligence at the center of business decisions that matter.—
Anita Beveridge-Raffo,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Roasting the root veggie dulls their spiciness and brings out their natural sweetness, so much so, the technique might just convert some radish haters.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
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Despite its stellar cast, the cumbersome plot dulls the comedic beats that would otherwise be razor-sharp.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
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
-
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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Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2026
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But as the season progresses, that outlet diminishes.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The exit of thousands of DOJ lawyers weakens law enforcement for many years to come, former DOJ lawyers told USA TODAY.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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Abbott contends the policy weakens statewide coordination with federal authorities.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This dampens the volatility of month-to-month without overlooking changes in year-to-year.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Light watering that only dampens the top layer of grass encourages weak root systems.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Apr. 2026
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While the deal is budget-neutral during its first year, city residents would likely notice the impact of the furloughs as the absence of workers decreases the quality of service in many areas.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blunts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blunts. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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