as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
time had cauterized his bitterness, and he was willing to let bygones be bygones
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Recent Examples of cauterize
The cauterizing device commonly needed for this type of surgery couldn’t be used due to the risk of explosion.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 20 June 2025
For patients deemed female, excess flesh could be cut away, and for patients deemed male, the vulva could be cauterized to close it.
—Sarah Barringer, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025
All of his attempts to cut away his past, to cauterize himself and separate himself from it, would fail.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024
Two arms tipped with multiple tools can perforate gastric ulcers, cauterize and suture wounds, or perform emergency appendectomies.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2014
See All Example Sentences for cauterize
Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 20 June 2025
For patients deemed female, excess flesh could be cut away, and for patients deemed male, the vulva could be cauterized to close it.
—Sarah Barringer, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025
All of his attempts to cut away his past, to cauterize himself and separate himself from it, would fail.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024
Two arms tipped with multiple tools can perforate gastric ulcers, cauterize and suture wounds, or perform emergency appendectomies.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2014
See All Example Sentences for cauterize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cauterize
Verb
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Upon his arrival, Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison on earlier corruption convictions, a term swiftly reduced to one year following a royal pardon.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Cutting convoy risk Army planners see cargo drones as a way to reduce dependence on traditional resupply convoys.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cornyn largely has stayed in Washington, mixing official Senate work with Texas campaign moments, such as a recent tour on the border, betting that repetition on TV can blunt grassroots skepticism and carry him into a runoff.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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There's a nice bitter chocolate flavor that's blunted perfectly by the brownies' delicate sweetness.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Considerable resources were devoted to acoustics that deaden the train noise from the outside.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Schjerfbeck also liked the way Degas bleached his pastels to deaden their tone.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His muscles waste, his mind dulls, his body collapses inward until only a voice remains, thin and disembodied.—
Gilberto Lopes,
STAT,
12 Feb. 2026
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The repetition dulls whatever voltage the pairing once carried.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But some analysts say Iran's unprecedented weakness at home could diminish the flexibility of its country's leadership to make the kinds of compromises necessary for a deal.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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The emergence of cable, podcasts and streaming audio and video platforms — none of which are subject to FCC restrictions in terms of content — have greatly diminished traditional broadcast media’s dominance in the marketplace.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Because both actors look like lumpish proletarian versions of Ingmar Bergman stars — Alma Pöysti, radiant yet benumbed, plays Ansa like a dish-towel Bibi Andersson, and Jussi Vatanen could be the schlump brother of Max von Sydow (with a dollop of Ryan Gosling).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
23 May 2023
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What’s destructive, and eventually benumbing, is the kitchen-sink clutter of fantasy, reality, wish-fulfillment and glib enchantment.—
Joe Morgenstern,
WSJ,
24 Jan. 2019
Verb
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Getty Images Since the June strikes, Iran’s rulers have been weakened by street protests, suppressed at a cost of thousands of lives, against a cost-of-living crisis driven in part by international sanctions that have strangled the country’s oil income.—
Max Burman,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
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Some purchasers had issues with the hook-and-loop straps weakening quickly.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cauterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cauterize. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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