CAUTERIZE Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

cauterize

verb

ˈkȯ-tə-ˌrīz

Definition of cauterize

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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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 cauterize Altruism had drawn Welsh to medicine, but research, searching for a cure, had been the only salve that cauterized his bleeding heart. — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 15 Mar. 2026 Department of Justice For years, the Firm, as the royal family is sometimes known, has attempted to cauterize the wound created by the Epstein scandal, taking steps to admonish Mountbatten-Windsor as more details about his relationship with Epstein emerged. — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026 Why not cauterize a severed hand, add some just-for-fun cocktail rings, and then shatter the hand’s rigid bones with a hammer or mallet, which will allow the fingers to be wrapped around a colorful ceramic mug with a holly or mistletoe motif? — Paul Rudnick, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025 When Amy Adams’ Lois Lane is wounded in the Arctic while working on a story, the ever-ready hero emerges from nowhere, ready to cauterize her wound with his X-ray eyes. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for cauterize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cauterize

Verb

By controlling how densely cancer-targeting proteins are displayed on the virus, the team developed vaccine particles that significantly reduced tumor development in mice.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Research suggests standard time better aligns with our circadian rhythm, or internal clock, and reduces the risk of health complications.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduce

Verb

Democrats have the enthusiasm edge after early voting, but Republicans are hopeful that strong GOP turnout on election day will blunt what many expect to be a blue surge in the state.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2026
Evers got behind Crowley in an effort to blunt the rising campaign of democratic socialist Francesca Hong.

— CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of blunt

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
Too much intention, too much Trying to Say, too much overarching metaphor, can deaden your work.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of deaden

Verb

Some cleaners can dull the floor’s finish, cause damage, or leave streaks.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026
The primary effects generally wear off in less than an hour, but a person’s senses may remain dulled and their judgment and coordination impaired for several hours afterward.

— Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of dull

Verb

Except in the extreme, legislators are loath to devalue local autonomy while also prioritizing delivery of state aid to diminish local tax burdens.

— David Bloomfield, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
While rain chances will diminish, clouds will hang tough through much of the day, and northeast winds will pick up slightly to 5 to 10 mph.

— Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminish

Verb

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
But her core insight into how even mediocrities can be institutionally benumbed and conscripted into heinous projects remains fertile.

— GEORGE PROCHNIK, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2018

Definition of benumb

Verb

The regime remains capable of suppressing any organized resistance in the country, but the growing disaffection of the elite threatens to weaken the state from within.

— Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
Eisenkot's allies could also try to reverse legislation advanced by Netanyahu's government that critics say weakened Israel's democratic institutions and judicial independence.

— Itay Stern, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaken

Browse Nearby Words

caustically

cauterize

cauterized

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“Cauterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cauterize. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of cauterize

verb

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